Reducing lanes does not reduce demand, it just reduces transportation options and increases costs, indirectly damaging the economy. The passengers are trading

Reducing lanes does not reduce demand, it just reduces transportation options and increases costs, indirectly damaging the economy. The passengers are trading time for money in the sense that a single car/van/bus is more cost efficient, but takes more time per passenger. It's true that some work can be done while on the road, but it's not a great work environment. Also, it's not always possible to align the schedules of all passengers.