Question

Argument:
"Cities that invest in cycling infrastructure will see a long-term reduction in traffic congestion because people will shift from cars to bicycles."
Question:
Which of the following is an essential assumption in the argument?

Hint:

Assumptions fill the logical gap between the evidence and the conclusion. Ask yourself: “What must be true for the argument to work?”

Answer 1

The argument claims that investing in cycling infrastructure will reduce traffic congestion because people will switch from driving to cycling.
For this reasoning to hold, the argument must assume that a meaningful number of people will actually make that shift.
A correct essential assumption would therefore look like: \[ “A significant portion of current car users are willing and able to switch to bicycles if cycling infrastructure improves.” \] Without this assumption, investment alone does not guarantee reduced congestion—people might simply continue driving.