By Dr. Kelcie Ralph and Ellen Oettinger White (PhD ’23) published this article in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
Abstract
Induced travel is the new travel that materializes after expanding infrastructure, and accounting for it is essential for accurately describing the long-term benefits and environmental impacts of a project. However, engineers rarely account for induced travel during project planning and environmental review, perhaps owing in part to unfamiliarity with and skepticism about induced travel. This research explores whether transportation engineering textbooks introduce students to the concept of induced travel. We conducted a systematic review of seven engineering textbooks to assess whether they 1) clearly define induced travel, 2) indicate the expected magnitude of induced travel, 3) feature the concept in problem sets to be consistent with engineering’s signature pedagogy, and 4) describe the implications of induced travel for engineering practice and transportation policy. Three textbooks omitted the idea entirely, whereas the others offered only partial coverage. No single textbook included all four essential elements. Beyond this, all textbooks placed a greater emphasis on accommodating demand rather than managing it. Textbooks also offered an asymmetric portrayal of how drivers adjust to traffic conditions. Overall, the engineering textbooks reviewed here leave students unprepared to understand induced travel or its implications.