Mayor: the commuters from the nearby suburb of Coldstream perennially complain of a difficult commute to our downtown region. To address these concerns, we should install high-speed toll collector on the interstate between here and Coldstream, thus relieving any traffic snarls caused by the hand-operated toll booths.
Civil engineer: Over 95% of commuters from Coldstream take local roads, not the interstate, to our downtown region.
The civil engineer uses which of the following techniques in responding to the mayor?