The "Fundamental Law of Road Congestion"

The "Fundamental Law of Road Congestion" states that increasing the amount of road space or capacity—like building new roads—tends to lead to more driving, not less congestion. This happens because as roads become more available, more people choose to drive, which eventually fills up the new capacity and maintains or worsens traffic. In essence, adding road infrastructure often encourages more vehicle use, so congestion doesn't decrease; it just shifts or worsens. The law highlights that managing traffic effectively often requires changing travel behavior or demand, not simply increasing roadway capacity.