If They Come, Will You Build It? Urban Transportation Network Growth Models

Abstract

This research applies a holistic, integrated approach to transportation planning for the Twin Cities metro area. The author studies the causes and implications of the prevalent method of accommodating growth (building in response to demand) as it applies to node formation, link formation and link expansion. Using data spanning two decades, the author has developed scientifically based models for projection and planning that address network investment, utilization and capacity. The authors lend an intriguing perspective to the concept of transportation expansion in an urban setting. Throughout the analysis, they propose (and support) the perspective of the Twin Cities highway system as a dynamic organism, capable of affecting and responding to change. Their models will serve as valuable tools to those interested in planning in a way that best serves current and future transportation demands.