UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies

Traffic impact analysis (TIA), which estimates the traffic impacts of proposed land development, tends to bias against higher density developments in urban areas where traffic is often congested and travel alternatives plentiful. This has important implications for housing supply and affordability, suburban sprawl, and private vehicle dependence. We examine the understudied implication of TIA on housing by drawing on empirical evidence from distinct bodies of research in the transportation and land use planning literatures to describe the mechanisms through which TIA may affect housing market conditions. We conclude that TIAs likely have negative effects on urban housing production and affordability.