Land Use and Traffic Congestion is an investigation into the links among land use, travel behavior, and traffic congestion. Researchers focused on four transportation corridors in the Phoenix area: three older neighborhoods with relatively mixed, higher density land use, and one suburban area with lower density but high traffic volumes. The analysis suggested that the higher density corridors exhibited less congestion due to the greater mix of uses, shorter trip lengths, more travel by transit and non-motorized modes, and the presence of a secondary street grid system.

Some freeway users complain that new freeway segments fill up with traffic during peak hours immediately after construction. Because of this concern, the debate about the costs and benefits of freeways often centers on relieving congestion. The literature states that the long-term relief of congestion is an elusive goal. While congestion is a pervasive feature of freeways, it does not mean that constructing them is useless. This study helps to demonstrate that the great benefit of freeways is to facilitate travel rather than reduce peak-hour congestion. The study finds that the facilitated travel far outweighs the cost of freeway construction. Even if new freeway capacity becomes congested during peak travel hours, there is still great benefit in the increased travel mobility that can be accommodated.