| | NOVEMBER 20218CIOReviewIN MY OPINIONECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, AND ROAD SAFETYBy Emad Elshafei, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE, Chief of Traffic and Transportation, Department of Public Works, City of RockvilleIt is not a secret that most jurisdictions around the country are looking for better economy. Adding more developments means more taxes, and more money allows jurisdictions to provide better services for their residents. However, not all residents are willing to pay the price of better services. This price is the impact of the developments on their quality of life. Traffic congestion and road safety are usually on top of this list.The role of the elected officials is to weigh the challenges and decide how much development is enough and how much is too much. It is obvious that new developments generate new vehicular trips. Most of the jurisdictions in the country already have a transportation network with a limited number of roads and travel lanes. Traffic impact studies are required for all new developments, especially when they reach a specific threshold of new trips they generated, to assess the impact of the new development on their transportation network. Each jurisdiction evaluates the impact based on their policies and Some jurisdictions call for new modes of transportation, transportation demand management (TDM), and pedestrian and bicycle safety, but at the same time, allow substandard road cross-sections to allow developments to go forward
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