Networks

Johan van Leeuwaarden in NRC

Optimizing use of infrastructure preferable to extension of the road network.

5 January 2016

 

In 2015 traffic jams increased again and if nothing is done the situation is set to worsen, says Johan van Leeuwaarden.

 

According tot the Verkeersinformatie Dienst (VID), traffic jams have increased with 25 percent over 2015, putting an end to the decreasing figures shown from 2007. Figures from the KiM show that the  problems wil increase slowly between 2015 and 2020 and that measures will stay behind.

Explanations given for this increase were the bad weather, growing economy and new bottlenecks in the Dutch road network.

 

Mathematicians have proved by making models, that systems that are under high pressure are extremely sensible to minor changes in the demands and to minor perturbations.

 

To prevent that the traffic jam problem gets out of hand, radical changes are needed in which the focus should be on optimizing the use of our infrastructure rather then extending the road network.

 

Visit the NRC website to read the complete article (in Dutch)