k wrote:
Here, where people are *already* moving further and further from downtown because it's so cheap, I see nothing that would prevent an even more severe exodus if driving into town got pricier.

I think you're right about that. I don't think charging peak-hour tolls is feasible, and Anthony Downs further explains why in a related article:

Anthony Downs wrote:
Transportation economists have long been proponents of this tactic, but most Americans reject this solution politically for two reasons. Tolls would favor wealthier or subsidized drivers and harm poor ones, so most Americans would resent them, partly because they believe they would be at a disadvantage.

The second drawback is that people think these tolls would be just another tax, forcing them to pay for something they have already paid for through gasoline taxes. For both these reasons, few politicians in our democracy—and so far, anywhere else in the world—advocate this tactic. Limited road-pricing schemes that have been adopted in Singapore, Norway, and London only affect congestion in crowded downtowns, which is not the kind of congestion on major arteries that most Americans experience.

Agreed. On the other hand, I disagree with Downs when he claims that we can't make the situation at least a little better. He states that "living with congestion... is the sole viable option," and discounts the options of "greatly expanding road capacity" and "greatly expanding public transit capacity." While I agree that constantly expanding road capacity is impractical, I think he has given up on public transportation (in the form of rail systems) too easily. If trains were available in more areas (connecting neighboring cities, and connecting downtown areas to the suburbs), I think many commuters would use them. No, I don't expect it to eliminate all congestion, but I do think trains (above or below ground) would help.

I completely disagree with Downs' suggestion for more HOT and HOV lanes. As taxpayers, we all should have the right to use all lanes on public highways. HOV lanes don't reduce traffic. All they do is create a dangerous situation (the far left lanes are supposed to be overtaking lanes, with slower traffic keeping to the right, but with HOV lanes, the slow traffic is also on the left) and raise easy revenue by collecting fines from those who invariably violate HOV lane restrictions. One can drive 20mph over the speed limit during rush hour and not get a second look from a police officer, because they're all watching the HOV lane for easy tickets.

Most solo drivers don't change their driving habits just to use the HOV lane, so if there are no patrol cars around, that lane is constantly being violated by lone drivers. If there are patrol cars around to trap violators, the left lane is being underutilized, and the very presence of tax collectors... I mean, patrol cars on the side of the road slows down traffic much worse than normal rush hour congestion. HOV lanes do plenty of harm, and no good.

Downs' suggestion to raise gasoline taxes is just plain silly. Five days out of the week, I drive 70 miles, round trip, to/from work. I can't just decide to go to work only two days each week because the taxes are higher. Higher taxes won't reduce necessary business driving (rush hour), but it will anger most drivers. Besides, using taxation as punishment and/or to influence citizens' behaviors is fundamentally evil, as far as I'm concerned.

Anthony Downs wrote:
Peak-hour traffic congestion in almost all large and growing metropolitan regions around the world is here to stay. In fact, it is almost certain to get worse during at least the next few decades, mainly because of rising populations and wealth. This will be true no matter what public and private policies are adopted to combat congestion.

So, it all comes down to the fact that we have a fixed amount of space, but the population keeps growing. Congestion isn't the problem, but a symptom of the real problem of overpopulation. So... we need to stop having babies and stop allowing immigration?

Anthony Downs wrote:
For the time being, the only relief for traffic-plagued commuters is a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle with a well-equipped stereo system, a hands-free telephone, and a daily commute with someone they like.

I don't own a mobile phone, but I do a have a large, comfortable vehicle with a V-8, a decent sound system, and a good air conditioner, all of which come in handy on I-24. In stop-and-go traffic, my vehicle probably doesn't reach double-digit mpg, but at least I'm comfortable. Sharing rides isn't practical for me, because I don't leave home or work at the same times every day, and I rarely drive straight home (I do have a life). Besides, I don't need a passenger telling me the temperature is too cold or the music is too loud. Still, despite my hedonistic ways, I haven't reproduced, so it seems that I'm doing my part to help reduce congestion after all. ;)

RE: America’s Traffic Congestion Problem: Toward a Framework for Nationwide Reform