Traffic is the result of incorrect pricing. Its cheap to drive relative to the alternatives taking into account all non-tangible benefits like privacy and comfo

Traffic is the result of incorrect pricing. Its cheap to drive relative to the alternatives taking into account all non-tangible benefits like privacy and comfort or the lack of a schedule and predefined route. If it is more expensive to drive people will drive less. You can use good pricing to influence behavior. If you charged everyone getting on an Los Angeles metro area freeway $5 between 7-9am and 2-5pm Monday-Friday some people wouldnt use the freeways. Yes now they are tollways but they are already tollways only funded through taxes. Really this wouldnt be a great idea because most people will just drive on the streets resulting in a shift in traffic but probably not a significant decline in total traffic. To be more effective this need to be combined with a robust mass transit network. When gasoline prices spiked in California people started driving less but overall there wasnt a significant change in demand mainly because of the lack of viable substitute. What needs to happen is a combined approach of dynamic pricing of driving and public transit along with investment in the transportation system as a system and good urban planning. Without a combined approach problems appear intractable but only because the incentives just are misaligned.