Re:Phantom traffic jams, and why lane expansion isn’t really...
by joe_the_user on Monday July 02, 2018 @03:04AM
(#17439803)
Even if travel time were the same with three lanes instead of two, that's 50% more people moving down that road. That's a quantifiable social benefit.
Well, maybe those 50% achieve some benefit to themselves and society once they arrive at their destination. Keep in mind, if those people happen to be arriving at jobs they had previously, that's not a greater benefit than before.
However, the movement of people down the road itself is a social detriment. Most people don't to spend time in traffic for kicks and the cost of fuel consumption, pollution, wear on highways and wear on cars is significant. I mean, if somehow I could spend only five minutes in my car per day and still get to my destinations, the benefit would clearly be far greater.
Well, maybe those 50% achieve some benefit to themselves and society once they arrive at their destination. Keep in mind, if those people happen to be arriving at jobs they had previously, that's not a greater benefit than before.
However, the movement of people down the road itself is a social detriment. Most people don't to spend time in traffic for kicks and the cost of fuel consumption, pollution, wear on highways and wear on cars is significant. I mean, if somehow I could spend only five minutes in my car per day and still get to my destinations, the benefit would clearly be far greater.