I keep hearing how terrible the increase in the gas tax will be because it doesn’t expand lane capacity. How many expensive new lanes will it take for us to realize that the solution to traffic is not more lanes on the freeway, but a change in how we get to work?
$1.1 billion spent on expanding the 405 freeway led to a minute longer commute. The simple reality is more lanes leads to more drivers. If you really care about traffic, invest in buses and trains to get people where they need to go, not more pavement. Even if you don’t use it, you’ll be happy when there are less people on the 5 and 14 when you’re trying to get where you need to be.
