Skip to Content
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

“Solving” Congestion Creates Worse Problems

Transportation for America hit the proverbial nail on the head with today's post about bigger problems that arise when transportation funding prioritizes "solving" congestion.

For decades, writes Steve Davis,

transportation agencies have been trying to “solve” congestion by increasing road capacity, even when doing so can obliterate or divide communities, harm local businesses, and make streets more dangerous. Our latest cartoon shows how our “cures” for congestion are often worse than the problem.

While every transportation agency (including USDOT in their new road safety strategy) will tell you that safety is always the biggest priority, you can see what the real priority is by following the money. It’s usually the same goal: reducing congestion. Our latest cartoon in our ongoing series shows just how shortsighted and bankrupt our current approach to congestion is:

Illustration produced for T4America by visual artist Jean Wei. IG/@weisanboo
Illustration produced for T4America by visual artist Jean Wei. IG/@weisanboo
false

Read more about how a focus on reducing congestion creates more problems (including decreasing safety) than it solves, here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog San Francisco

Letter to Readers: Happy Holidays and Thoughts on the Year’s Takeaways

2024 will be remembered as a seminal year for San Francisco streets

December 21, 2024

Remembering Another Person Killed by Traffic Engineers and Politicians

If there isn't money to make a project safe for everyone, regardless of how they get around, then there isn't enough money to build it. Period.

December 19, 2024
See all posts