Traffic Congestion
Definition
Traffic congestion refers to the condition on transport networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing.
Analogy
Imagine a water pipe. When only a little water is flowing through it, everything works fine. But if you try to push too much water through at once, it backs up and slows down. That's what happens with traffic congestion - too many cars trying to use the same road at the same time.
Related terms
Flow of Traffic: This term refers to the movement of vehicles along roads or highways. It can be affected by various factors such as road conditions, weather conditions, and traffic volume.
Traffic Management: This involves planning and control of traffic flow in order to reduce or prevent congestion.
Urban Sprawl: This term describes the spread of urban areas into surrounding rural areas often resulting in increased traffic congestion due to longer commuting distances.
"Traffic Congestion" appears in:
Study guides (3)
Practice Questions (13)
Which form of geographic data could best inform solutions for reducing traffic congestion in large cities?
How could we use smart city technologies to address the problem of traffic congestion in mega-cities like Tokyo?
Which type of map would be most effective for a city planner attempting to reduce traffic congestion in a densely populated urban area?
Which innovative approach would efficiently alleviate traffic congestion due to high population density?
What is a sustainable method for mitigating traffic congestion problems experienced by megacities such as Beijing?
How might urban planners reduce traffic congestion in a rapidly growing city?
In an effort to reduce traffic congestion in mega-cities, which solution would be most feasible?
What strategy could help manage traffic congestion in an overpopulated city?
What innovative solution could minimize traffic congestion resulting from high-density population growth in major cities?
What strategy could best reduce traffic congestion in large urban areas while also promoting sustainability?
How might we best tackle traffic congestion in densely populated cities?
What would be an effective intervention to reduce traffic congestion in large metropolitan cities without causing displacement of people?
What approach would best alleviate traffic congestion in large metropolitan areas?
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.