Comments on: Toll road bill moving along

By: murphstahoe

murphstahoe — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:36:07 +0000

Bob – it has been proven time and time again that building more lanes does not eliminate congestion. There is a certain level of congestion that people will tolerate. Once it reaches that level, segments of people don’t drive simply because of the congestion – even if that means moving or changing jobs.

More lanes get added, and the congestion is reduced – this attracts more drivers because the level of congestion has gone below the level of tolerance. This drives up the level of drivers until we once again reach equilibrium.

Certainly this doesn’t apply to roads to nowhere, but the primary Bay Area Freeways are a primary example. The most recent lane addition clearly didn’t solve the problem.

Let us know when you find that utopia that isn’t subject to the laws of physics.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:57:16 +0000

Less than full capacity lanes (i.e. HOV or carpool lanes) are wasted resources which force congestion into the remaining lanes. Full carpool lanes become irrelevant. Thus, there is no scenario where these restricted lanes make logiocal sense. Everyone paid for all these lanes already. Open them up and build more lanes until the congestion is eliminated.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:07:47 +0000

This is why WE left England! Pretty soon there will be bill taxing us for breathing and listening to the radio. At least the way things are going people may well move of the the U.S. for a better, yea I said better life.