L.A. Is King Of Traffic Congestion, Dumb Growth

Los Angeles has unmatched traffic congestion. The experts are recommending congestion pricing, and projects developed through and public-private partnerships as solutions. California Planning & Development Report Editor Paul Shigley wonders if it isn't too late for those ideas.

"Just how many miles of new freeway lanes, not to mention new freeway interchanges and access ramps, would we have to build to make any sort of real difference? And where would they go, other than on a second level above the existing freeways, which is a very costly proposition.

The next option is public transit. It's a lovely concept, but retrofitting an existing urban area is colossally expensive and inherently difficult for physical and political reasons."

The better answer just might be improved land use planning, Shigley writes.

Thanks to Paul Shigley