Navigation Apps Unintentionally Worsen Traffic Congestion

The tools that help us navigate daily commutes have quietly turned against us, and the reason is math, not malice.

Services like Google Maps use an algorithm to find the quickest route to a destination, but this 'selfish routing' can lead to decreased network performance and increased travel time for everyone. This phenomenon has been observed globally, with cities such as San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood, Los Angeles' Sherman Oaks, and London experiencing traffic jams in previously quiet areas.

The problem arises when drivers follow their phones' real-time rerouting suggestions without considering the overall impact on traffic flow. In fact, research suggests that app use can produce a new form of Braess's paradox, where adding capacity or choices can make everyone slower. Navigation apps lack the information needed to optimize routes globally, as they do not track user adoption and are blind to external factors such as safety concerns.