ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the difficult decisions city officials must make regarding transportation congestion issues. It presents the historical background of the concepts of universalism and individualism, and provides several case studies to encourage the reader to apply the concepts. Cities and traffic have developed hand-in-hand since the earliest large human settlements. The same forces that draw inhabitants to congregate in large urban areas lead to sometimes intolerable levels of traffic congestion on urban streets and thoroughfares. Effective urban governance is a careful balancing between the benefits of agglomeration and the dis-benefits of excessive congestion. The Joint Transport Research Centre defines traffic congestion as “a situation in which demand for road space exceeds the supply”. A lack of capacity during times of high demand may lead to bumper-to-bumper traffic, additional traffic on side roads, and increasing wear and tear on the nation’s roads.
