Traffic Congestion (DP IB Geography)

Revision Note

  • Many urban areas grow faster than the local government can improve and extend the area's infrastructure

  • This leads to challenges such as traffic congestion

What is traffic congestion?

  • Traffic congestion is when:

    • Traffic flow is significantly reduced

    • There is a reduction in vehicle speed

    • The number of vehicles is increased

  • The view of what constitutes traffic congestion varies from place to place

  • Traffic congestion affects both people and the environment

  • The extent of traffic congestion depends on several factors, including:

    • Size of the urban area

    • Urban planning

    • Population density

    • Transport infrastructure

    • Population density

  • These factors affect the amount of traffic and its flow through the urban area

Patterns of traffic congestion

Peak hour congestion

  • Cities all experience peak-hour congestion

  • This is increased traffic during morning and evening rush hours

  • It occurs when most people are travelling to and from work

Events 

  • Urban areas often experience traffic surges when there are events such as concerts or sporting competitions 

  • The amount of traffic is unpredictable and can cause significant congestion

Seasonal variation

  • The patterns of traffic change during public holidays, school holidays or seasonal events

  • This can lead to both increases and decreases in traffic

Bottlenecks

  • These are locations in urban areas where congestion regularly occurs, such as at particular junctions in the traffic infrastructure

Urban expansion

  • As cities expand, they will experience all of the following, which will increase the amount of traffic on the roads:

    • Growth of industries and businesses

    • Population increase

    • Increased size of the urban area 

Increased wealth

  • Increased wealth means that more people can afford cars

  • Fewer people are using public transport

Traffic Congestion Impacts

  • There are several impacts of traffic congestion including:

    • Increased pollution

    • Longer journey times

    • Unpredictable journey times

    • Slower speeds

    • Increased stopping and starting

Increased pollution

  • More traffic and starting and stopping leads to higher emissions in urban areas

  • Congestion in London is estimated to increase emissions by 15%, in Berlin it is estimated to be an 11% increase in emissions

    • Imperial College London's research estimates that pollution caused the premature deaths of 4000 London residents in 2019

  • In Delhi, India, 67% of pollution is from traffic and it is estimated to lead to 5000 premature deaths a year

Longer and more unpredictable journey times

  • The slower traffic impacts the economy

    • In London it is estimated that traffic congestion costs the economy £5.1bn a year

  • Research shows that in 2021, the average driver in London spent 148 hours sitting in traffic

Case Study: Rio de Janeiro

  • Rio de Janeiro has a population of 6.7 million (2020)

  • The population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at 13.5 million

  • The mountainous landscape surrounding the city increases the issues with traffic because:

    • A large volume of traffic is forced into only a few roads

  • Air pollution causes approximately 5000 premature deaths a year

Causes of traffic congestion in Rio de Janeiro

  • Car ownership in Brazil has increased by over 25% between 2012 and 2022

  • The average journey during rush hour takes 50% longer than at other times

  • Buses are the main form of transport but there are a number of issues with the bus system, including:

    • There are too few buses for the number of passengers

    • Safety fears, particularly at night

    • Lack of air conditioning 

  • Bottlenecks, such as the ones at either end of the Rio Niteroi Bridge, are common

    • The bridge is 14km long and saves an 80km journey 

    • Cars often breakdown on the bridge, leading to longer journey times

Traffic management in Rio de Janeiro

  • There have been several attempts to manage traffic congestion in Rio de Janeiro including:

    • Yellow Line Expressway

    • Rio Niteroi Bridge

    • Metro Rio

    • Trams

    • Bike Rio

  • All the management schemes aim to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads

  • The schemes include both public and private strategies

Yellow Line Expressway

  • The expressway connects Barra da Tijuca to the North Zone and the international airport

  • The cost of the road building was so high that it is now a toll road

  • Every day, 70 000 vehicles use it

    • This is 13 000 more than it was built for, which has led to congestion

  • It has reduced traffic on local roads by 40%

Rio Niteroi Bridge

  • The bridge was built to replace a one-hour ferry crossing or an 80 km road journey

  • Although effective in reducing journey time, it experiences bottlenecks and congestion due to its popularity

Metro Rio

  • Three subway lines cross Rio de Janeiro

  • There are 41 subway stations

  • The metro carries over 1 million passengers a day

Trams

  • A tram system connecting the port to the city centre and the airport

  • There are no emissions 

  • There are 300 000 users per day

  • The trams decrease journey times 

Bike Rio

  • Bike Rio began in 2011

  • It is a bicycle-sharing scheme

    • There are 600 bicycles available at 60 rental stations across Rio de Janeiro

    • The cycle lanes cross 450 km

    • Solar panels power the bike stations

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