traffic demand management

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a range of strategies aimed at reducing unnecessary vehicle trips, redistributing travel to less congested times and routes, and shifting demand to more efficient transport modes rather than simply expanding road capacity to accommodate growing traffic volumes; TDM approaches include flexible working arrangements that reduce peak-hour commuting, park-and-ride schemes, employer travel plans, carpooling incentives, congestion pricing, and information systems that help travellers make more efficient route and time choices; unlike supply-side approaches that attempt to resolve congestion by building more road capacity — which typically induces additional traffic through the phenomenon of induced demand — TDM addresses the root cause by moderating the volume and pattern of traffic generation