Transition by system reproduction? The role of traffic management in the mobility transition

The Dutch mobility system suffers from persistent problems. Congestion, safety risks and differing forms of environmental degradation persist, despite all policy efforts to counter those. The mobility system seems to have reached a state of lock-in, asking for changes of a similarly structural nature: A mobility transition. Transitions involve changes in many subsystems. This paper highlights the role of the traffic management subsystem. Traffic management is concerned with guidance of vehicles over infrastructure, optimizing traffic flow and safety. It accommodates traffic, and in that sense could reinforce system lock-in. The `autopoietic' evolution of traffic management does not amount to mere system reproduction, however. Traffic management has come to acknowledge that interjurisdictional governance of networks is indispensible. This holistic approach could become the backbone of a mobility transition trajectory.