[sustran] Released: "Demystifying Induced Travel Demand"

[SUTP Team]

“If we build it, they will come”: The question of induced travel demand 
attracts substantial interest from decision-makers, planners and the 
wider public alike. This technical document is intended as an 
introduction to the concept of induced travel demand and the principal 
arguments and debates surrounding the phenomenon. While it tries to 
remain neutral in the normative debates about whether induced travel is 
a “good” or a “bad”, it does accept as a fundamental premise, and argues 
emphatically, that induced travel demand is a real and measurable 
phenomenon, that it can and does produce environmental and social 
consequences, and that it should be explicitly accounted for in project 
evaluation and strategic assessments wherever possible.

The various topics in this document focus on what lies beneath the 
statement “If we build more, we get more”. It analyses if we build 
anything, will they come? Or will they come only if we build a 
particular “it”? And who are “they” that will “come” - people who are 
not coming at all right now? Or people who are coming, from 
time-to-time, but would come more often if we build “it”? Perhaps most 
importantly, if we don't build “it”, would they come anyway?

This document is part of the new series “Sustainable Urban Transport 
Technical Documents" developed by GTZ in an effort to provide greater 
knowledge to the policy makers on issues related to sustainable urban 
transport. The document has been authored by Mr. Roger Gorham, an urban 
transport specialist who is currently a Transport Economist in the World 
Bank.

*Free download*: SUTP users can download the document from 
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=393 
. Unregistered visitors can register (at no cost) on the SUTP website 
and then proceed to download.

*About SUTP*: The Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP) is a global 
partnership which aims to help developing world cities achieve their 
sustainable transport goals, through the dissemination of information 
about international experience and targeted work with particular cities. 
SUTP developed the publication “Sustainable Transport: A Sourcebook for 
Policy-makers in developing cities” consisting of more than 26 modules. 
The sourcebook addresses the key areas of a sustainable transport policy 
framework for a developing city. It is also complemented by a series of 
training documents and other material. More on www.sutp.org

*Comments and feedback are highly appreciated*: sutp at sutp.org
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