Why is the ICC so empty? How long will it stay that way?

from Greater Greater Washington by Ben Ross

Travelers on Maryland's newly-opened Intercounty Connector (ICC) highway see a road that seems empty and overbuilt. Yet the Maryland Transportation Authority, which runs the road, says that traffic is slightly heavier than forecast. Can both be right?

Yes, they can.
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But the state's forecast also assumes that gas will cost $2.50 a gallon, adjusted for future inflation. If instead, gas costs $10 a gallon in 2030, traffic on the ICC is projected to be about 40% below the $2.50/gallon forecast.
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There's nothing at all wrong with building for the future. The planners of Metro thought big, and we are all better off as a result. The question about the ICC is whether it was built for the future, or for a past age of cheap gasoline and sprawl that is gone forever.

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