Found here: https://twitter.com/CarsRuinedCity/status/1677005785862406144?t=Xolo43mUk4GnegFQE19q3g&s=19
Caption: Photo collage of a beach in Alexandria, Egypt, showing a progression in 3 images:
- Alexandria “Problem” - empty beach + walking street + 6 lane road with medium traffic + dense mid-rise buildings (likely housing)
- Alexandria “Solution” - empty beach (doesn’t seem to matter) + narrower walkway or sidewalk + 10 lane brand new and empty road + tiny sidewalk + the same buildings
- Alexandria “Results” - crowded beach + crowded beach walkway + traffic jam on the 10 lane road
An infinitely wide road couldn’t be effective unless it was also infinitely long. Cars enter and edit at one edge, and transferring lanes reduces capacity, so adding lanes had diminishing returns.
Indeed, but the width of the highways doesn’t create that effect, the logic surrounding “exits at the edge” does. Totally agree with the diminishing returns
More capacity on the roads will make driving a more attractive option to more people, both for journeys they previously made by other means and those that they wouldn’t have taken, which leads to more cars on the roads until the congestion is as bad as it was before.
I’m aware of induced demand, but the issue with more drivers simply isn’t them inhabiting the new lane, it’s the increased population of the highway still trying to use the same offramps, local streets and parking.
It’s both.