>>> "Nationally, travel on interstates and other federal highways increased 38% from 1990 to 2000, from 606 billion annual vehicle miles to 839 billion. Over the same period, the total number of freeway lane miles grew just 8%, from 232,436 miles to 250,315, according to a TRIP analysis of Federal Highway Administration data. That means the rate of growth is five times higher for travel than it is for new freeway lanes."<<<<<<<
This is amazing. In ten short years, travel on highways increased almost 40%. We are increasing total annual vehicle miles of about 233 million every ten years. Can you imagine how much traffic there will be on american highways 40 years from now? The numbers are insane.
I just don't get it. The article's only solution is to build more highways and put more buses on those same roads. This is a lose, lose situation. You can't cure Atlanta's traffic problems any more than you can LA's by building more roads. This city was built on a car culture and to change that would cost hundrds of billions of dollars. Yet no one wants to raise taxes to do this so they are stuck.