> if there is a single main problem, it is that there are too many cars for the available road and freeway space and too many people feel compelled to get into

> if there is a single main problem, it is that there are too many cars for the available road and freeway space and too many people feel compelled to get into those cars and drive absolutely anywhere at any particular time Exactly. The focus on improving traffic should be on addressing WHY people feel compelled to drive long distances throughout the day. Are they going to work, shopping, entertainment, etc? The closer you can bring things to where people live, the less need there would be to get in your car and drive long distances. Public transportation is the most effective in cities that are the most diverse; i.e, not large blocks of residential surrounding large blocks of commercial. Even where I live, a city of about 65k, there are residential districts that have >2,000 homes, 1 major shopping district, and two smaller shopping districts. Freeway exits are all at the three shopping districts, which causes all traffic to funnel from the freeway into a very small commercial area before spreading out into the residential neighborhoods. And visa-versa, if you want to get onto the freeway from your home, you get pushed into the same funnel before you can get to the freeway. The city plan appears to be specifically designed to funnel 65,000 people through shopping districts no matter whether the people need to shop or are just trying to get out of the city (freeway).