When a better option
makes everyone worse off.
Imagine adding a shortcut to a city. The road is free to use. Every driver takes the fastest available route. Should the commute get shorter?
In the simplified network below, the answer depends on how many people drive. Make your prediction, then adjust demand and find a case where the result reverses.
The lesson is in the incentives.
In some networks, individual route choices create a slower equilibrium after a new connection is added. This is an illustration of Braess’s paradox. It does not establish that adding roads generally causes congestion.
Think of the exhibit as a model for asking a better question: who changes their behavior when a new option appears?
Example publication is a fictional layout label, not a customer endorsement. Article text and exhibit are supplied for evaluating the pilot.
Review the $149 pilot