The article has a lame explanation of latent demand. Sure some switch from surface streets to the highway. But people also decide to make more trips, commute further, or use public transportation less. So the result is after an adjustment period of about one year there's almost precisely as much traffic per lane as before.

Your point about recession is interesting. As we came out of the previous recession after the crash in 07/08, I noticed commute times increasing in the DC metro area.

My argument is and has been that highway lane miles have never met demand. More lanes bring more cars simply because the other routes we're equally congested/slow before and now there's a slightly better option with the new mega highway.

Here in Bangkok the size of the (already legendary) traffic jams is certainly a great proxy for the economy as a whole.