Penang's roads are choking, but state still cannot count the cost
GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s busiest roads are operating at Level of Service (LOS) F during peak hours, but the state still cannot put an official “price tag” on the time and economic losses caused by congestion.
George Town, Penang is experiencing severely congested roads during peak hours, with traffic studies recording Level of Service (LOS) F — an oversaturated condition where demand exceeds capacity. However, the state has no official estimate of the economic cost or time lost to congestion each year. Existing studies predict that without significant intervention, road speeds could drop from 29.75kph in 2011 to 21.75kph by 2030, and this could worsen as roads reach capacity.
To address this, the transport system must shift toward a more balanced modal structure prioritizing public transport, as well as strategic road projects to tackle major bottlenecks. The state aims to ensure growth is coordinated, resilient, and transit-oriented, gradually shifting the focus from increasing road capacity to moving more people.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
