Why Adding More Lanes Causes More Traffic

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  • čas přidán 17. 10. 2022
  • This is what we call "induced demand". And the good news is, it also works in reverse!
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Komentáře • 1,7K

  • @danzoz164
    @danzoz164 Před rokem +14128

    Just one more lane bro I swear bro it's gonna work just one more lane trust me bro

    • @ER0M0RI
      @ER0M0RI Před rokem +109

      NOOO!!! IF YOU ADD ONE MORE LANE THE ALIENS FROM MARS 👽 WILL FILL THAT LANE

    • @dalstein3708
      @dalstein3708 Před rokem +195

      One week after completion of the new lane: "See? I told you it would solve traffic!"
      Three months after completion of the new lane: "Hmm, I guess we didn't add enough extra lanes".

    • @rosskrt
      @rosskrt Před rokem +148

      I swear bro just one more lane, I can stop whenever I want

    • @pumpkinblook7761
      @pumpkinblook7761 Před rokem

      @@ER0M0RI because people who take public transport don’t exist

    • @mostlyguesses8385
      @mostlyguesses8385 Před rokem +4

      VID SHOWS CARS CAN WORK... This video DOES show "one more lane" can get most people into cars going to work, off bikes and off walking to and waiting for train. In cold Minnesota this is pleasanter and faster. In suburbs they can build enough lanes to have low congestion. This video proves cars which are warm and fast can be helped by 1 more lane. The only real question is can a city afford enough lanes, and US and Canada can build enough to 90% of people drive to work and it's faster than biking at least or bus, and only maybe isolated spots have rush hour congestion . Per rider govt pays $10 per trip either in roads or subsidy for bus/train, same, so build both and free people choose cars, at least in Minnesota at 20 below in dark. I'm fat so walk for exercise but most people are rational and will pick cars unless their fascist govt does build roads to give them a choice, fascism. . . . EVs will make most greens accept cars, Uber means retired people or disabled people don't need transit either, cars have won unless govt is fascist.... Roads in US cost little, paid by gasoline tax and bit of property tax, per person to govt transit is costlier, this math and reality should settle the debate and govt should build roads... I love how all the finances are never discussed, it's just assumed transit run by govt with union drivers and staff is magically cheap, ha, it's not it's costly as F like $10 per trip in tax subsidy taken via sales tax from poor people so a few can commute...... So yes let's build more lanes.... I'm half serious, here in suburbia no congestion cars are wonderful....

  • @MrMcMuggel
    @MrMcMuggel Před rokem +13280

    LeTs aDD A LaNe UnDErGrOunD ThaT WiLl fIx ThIngS

    • @blob7963
      @blob7963 Před rokem +777

      People flock to the underground lane
      Due to the massive amount of cares in the underground lane, a person dies due to pollution, blocking the tunnel, an shutting it down for a day
      To prevent this, the city widens the tunnel

    • @BrotkastedichSeIbst
      @BrotkastedichSeIbst Před rokem +396

      Oh no, we have too much traffic underground
      Lets build another lane 🤡

    • @francescoghizzo
      @francescoghizzo Před rokem +196

      Let's bore a tunnel and drive Teslas through it!

    • @TasTheWatcher
      @TasTheWatcher Před rokem +184

      @@blob7963 They keep choosing to widen and add more tunnels before deciding _Fuck it, let's just build the city underground,_ leading to a cyberpunk dystopia with an above ground Bourgeoisie and a below ground underclass

    • @allergy5634
      @allergy5634 Před rokem +23

      Of course, don’t you know that simple maths and human psychology ceases to work Underground?

  • @respectmathias
    @respectmathias Před rokem +6922

    The ReAl SoLuTion iS To CoVer ThE entTire wOrld iN aspHalt

    • @metiupapluch
      @metiupapluch Před rokem +80

      I laughed so hard at this 😂😂😂

    • @MrRedstoner
      @MrRedstoner Před rokem +185

      Technically, anything that provides the wipe-most-of-humanity functionality would solve the issue.

    • @mishynaofficial
      @mishynaofficial Před rokem +58

      @@MrRedstoner -every antinatalists ever ☠️

    • @gustavosantos106
      @gustavosantos106 Před rokem +26

      Come on, we're on 2022, cars should be flying by now.

    • @asagadam550
      @asagadam550 Před rokem +12

      Not enough lanes still

  • @sora64444
    @sora64444 Před rokem +4482

    ngl a 6 lane bike lane would be juicy

    • @Shiv-ym1rr
      @Shiv-ym1rr Před rokem +556

      bUt TheN ThErE wOulD be BiKe TrAfFic

    • @applesyrupgaming
      @applesyrupgaming Před rokem +327

      @@Shiv-ym1rr i mean this does happen in the netherlands due to ehh transit being kept afloat by bikes lol

    • @zacharyphelps6555
      @zacharyphelps6555 Před rokem +163

      fantastic for Milwaukee traffic, you've just created 6 more lanes for cars. Cause people think they're meant for them

    • @callidusvulpes5556
      @callidusvulpes5556 Před rokem +37

      @@zacharyphelps6555 maybe 2 lanes for cars. Unless your bike lanes are as big as car lanes (not the case here in the US).

    • @crassiewassie8354
      @crassiewassie8354 Před rokem

      Ngl i kinda want bikes off the sidewalks
      Like some cyclist ran over my dog so i kinda think they cant really work on the sidewalk
      At least not in an intersection or moving fast please?
      Fuck cars drive bikes

  • @WFOmertaWF
    @WFOmertaWF Před rokem +3299

    And then there's me. I have a driving license, but I almost never drive since I can get drunk and sleep on the bus/train. See ! alcohol can solve some problems.

    • @TheDamibonf
      @TheDamibonf Před rokem +161

      Don't drive if you have to drink!

    • @TheDamibonf
      @TheDamibonf Před rokem +91

      Drink, pedal, sweat, repeat

    • @toni6194
      @toni6194 Před rokem +41

      dude where the heck do you life ? russia?

    • @Ynwell_theslaaneshi
      @Ynwell_theslaaneshi Před rokem +193

      @@toni6194 countries in Europe do pretty fine
      Where I live (Switzerland) has one of the best public transports so I’m happy. It takes me literally less time to wait in the bus, than to drive in peak hours.

    • @WFOmertaWF
      @WFOmertaWF Před rokem +44

      @@toni6194 Nah, I wouldn´t be watching video about traffic on the frontline would I ?

  • @BR1.618
    @BR1.618 Před rokem +3016

    Expanding lanes means more cars will jam the endpoint faster, eventually, multiple lanes end so it doesn't fix the problem.
    But cities be like: "See guys? we're spending our budget wisely, right?"

    • @Elkator955
      @Elkator955 Před rokem +247

      "Your next exit is 700 feet... to your left. Please start switching lanes now."

    • @nickkozak4763
      @nickkozak4763 Před rokem +19

      what we need cities to spend is military (no weapons) reinforcing the buildings with EMP resistant devices so in the case of a nuke the electrical grid can still run fine allowing potentially still clean water from sinks.
      or how about a practically useless city that was built to withstand a nuke shockwave but have walls that have several multi-purpose rocket systems of which all have EMP resistant or even EMP proof properties allowing it to not be struck easily

    • @mostlyguesses8385
      @mostlyguesses8385 Před rokem

      Transit counting tax subsidy costs as much as roads and cars. The scam is having people by mansion 10 miles from the 2 husband and wifes work, so have mortgage and 2 cars and road tax bill.... Instead of living in van on street outside workplace, or 1 room cottage... People choose the mansion, it's human stupidity, our caveman brain wants a castle and thick walls and 100 rooms... Till we ban people having a 2nd room at all we LL have sprawl and waste, transit ain't the answer. But let the dumb transit berdy talk continue , ha...

    • @splashafrica
      @splashafrica Před rokem +4

      more connections would lead to more lanes too

    • @CZpersi
      @CZpersi Před rokem +52

      There is always some chokepoint eventually. The thing with trains is that the chokepoint, a.k.a. railway hub, also happens to be the destination since railway hubs are usually at stations.

  • @Kaleubs
    @Kaleubs Před rokem +2631

    More lanes, more cars, more consumption. People are stressed, companies are happy and nature is left behind in that equation.

    • @wodekw6862
      @wodekw6862 Před rokem +151

      Sounds like America

    • @MustraOrdo
      @MustraOrdo Před rokem +2

      @@wodekw6862 It does not sound like America. It IS America and all her vassels (aka, countries that ignorantly copied American style urban design)

    • @Amir-jn5mo
      @Amir-jn5mo Před rokem +113

      If the natives were alive today they would just get a heartattack at the sight of our inefficient living and crazy environmental destruction. No smallpox needed

    • @nil981
      @nil981 Před rokem +25

      Nature needs to have a bill of rights.

    • @BlamingBuddha
      @BlamingBuddha Před rokem +6

      @@wodekw6862 this freeway is not in America. Its in India.

  • @parsifal6094
    @parsifal6094 Před rokem +1897

    From this video you can clearly see that cyclist are the biggest problem

    • @awesometwitchy
      @awesometwitchy Před rokem +146

      Now I'm imagining politicians attending their lobbying sessions in a suit and tie but also a neon-colored bicycle helmet.

    • @deldarel
      @deldarel Před rokem +153

      For real, damn cyclists switching over to driving a car, endangering people in cars.

    • @no_name4796
      @no_name4796 Před rokem +4

      Yeah they should just bike upsy

    • @risu6894
      @risu6894 Před rokem +11

      as someone who lives in a city with lots of cyclists I can agree
      cyclists don’t understand how cars move around where I live and will literally just cross the road whenever they want- even if it’s pretty obvious there is oncoming cars that will hit them

    • @parsifal6094
      @parsifal6094 Před rokem +98

      @@risu6894 blame your government that doesn't invest in bicycle ifrastructure, that doesn't split vehicle traffic from cyclist roads, that doesn't prioritize pedestrians/cyclists/public transportation to private cars, and that doesn't restrict the usage of motorized vehicles in the city
      (And yes, cyclists also need to mind the traffic and ride safely)

  • @cate01a
    @cate01a Před rokem +423

    that katy freeway is wild, like something youd see in city skylines

    • @nvagn
      @nvagn Před rokem +21

      yeah thats basically what ive made trying to improve the traffic only by moving it all underground
      the worst thing it actually worked unlike that highway

    • @elbolainas4174
      @elbolainas4174 Před rokem +25

      @@nvagn now I know where did Elon got his ideas

    • @rezandrarizkyirianto-1933
      @rezandrarizkyirianto-1933 Před rokem +8

      ​@@nvagnGlad to know I'm not the only one who used the "ant farm" method

  • @skelenize
    @skelenize Před rokem +377

    me on my way home only to discover my entire yard and my living room are now part of a 50 lane freeway

  • @sm6allegro
    @sm6allegro Před rokem +760

    This is actually called the Downs-Thomson paradox. Induced demand is more about people making trips they otherwise wouldn't have made at all and less about existing trips switching modes

    • @angusmuir6180
      @angusmuir6180 Před rokem +13

      Hm, will have to Google this later. Thank ye, kind stranger.

    • @TereniaDelamay
      @TereniaDelamay Před rokem +100

      It's more than one thing that explains induced demand. It's also people deciding to live further because the commute isn't so bad anymore.

    • @sm6allegro
      @sm6allegro Před rokem +24

      @@TereniaDelamay yes, they all contribute to induced demand. What you just described is Marchetti's constant

    • @insertphrasehere15
      @insertphrasehere15 Před rokem +57

      There is another element to it.
      Basically, assuming an empty road, cars are the quickest way to travel to work/home, so people will prefer it, but it is also the least efficient from a traffic standpoint (an entire car for a single occupant is obviously wildly inefficient, especially when you add parking requirements).
      If you prioritise creating more lanes, more people will drive, destroying the economies of scale of the alternatives.
      It is a chicken and egg scenario though; Lots of bikes leads to lots of bike lanes, dedicated bike bridges, and efficient bike travel (the Netherlands), lots of train riders leads to faster rail with more connections and more trains on those rail lines (Japan). But trying to get lots of people to bike while there is a 6 lane highway and no bike lanes or bike paths is a non-starter, and trying to get people to take the train to work when it is slow, there aren't very regular trains scheduled, and the service sucks due to lack of investment/maintenance is also a non-starter.
      The solution is to invest proactively in bike/rail infrastructure, and REDUCE the number of lanes on the highway; but the public invariably hates these plans as they seem nonsensical from a layman's perspective. It has been tried a few times though, and it works.

    • @bramvanduijn8086
      @bramvanduijn8086 Před rokem +20

      @@TereniaDelamay Yep, people tend to want to live about 15-60 minutes commute from work. The distance is irrelevant, only the time it takes. So the more highways you build, the farther people will commute. Or to be more precise, people value cheaper living more than 1 hour of their time but that's the limit. So as long as there is a cost of living gradient towards their workplace, they will live about an hour away. Alternative solutions are spreading out employment slots, or making long distance travelling more practical by train than by car.

  • @steffenjensen422
    @steffenjensen422 Před rokem +345

    The Katy Freeway truly is a magnificent testament to urban planners incompetence

    • @edwardcamp3376
      @edwardcamp3376 Před rokem +20

      But it sells more oil and that's what's most important.

  • @ObsoletePerson
    @ObsoletePerson Před rokem +531

    And we all know the name is "induced demand".

    • @steemlenn8797
      @steemlenn8797 Před rokem +15

      I'll name my child "induced demand". You can make so many jokes with that!

    • @pcongre
      @pcongre Před rokem +5

      Also "induced traffic"👍

    • @ryanm9566
      @ryanm9566 Před rokem +1

      Says it right in the description mate. I really think he thould've thrown it into the video but meh

    • @wernerderchamp
      @wernerderchamp Před rokem +4

      The 9€ ticket in Germany has indeed decreased congestion, just because it was a cheaper alternative. Now if you would expand the service and keep prices an a fair level, you'd save yourself lots of money on road construction and also have a faster city for those dependent on cars.

    • @deltaxcd
      @deltaxcd Před rokem

      all demand is induced if you increase quality of some product you induce demand and if you make shitty product nobody wants to use it
      does that mean we should not make any good products?

  • @markfrench9004
    @markfrench9004 Před rokem +37

    It makes sense to us, but a North American town planner would look at this and wonder how many more lanes you can make if tear up the rail track and cycle path.

  • @mepipe7705
    @mepipe7705 Před rokem +43

    the only sollution is, that every person gets an own personalized lane

  • @cicalinarrot
    @cicalinarrot Před rokem +1601

    A classic capitalistic scheme:
    - actively boycott public stuff until it sucks
    - complain about how public stuff sucks and only private works
    - make enough money for more boycott
    - repeat

    • @SonTran-hr3mg
      @SonTran-hr3mg Před rokem +52

      Roads and train are both public infrastructure. The problem is most American like to use cars more than train. So the state focuses more resources on roads and neglecs trains.

    • @cicalinarrot
      @cicalinarrot Před rokem +152

      @@SonTran-hr3mg Of course road are public too. They're even "more public", consider you pay nothing to ride almost all of them. But I've heard the argument "public transportation is socialism and doesn't work" so many times that I know for sure it doesn't have to make sense to convince people.

    • @grassytramtracks
      @grassytramtracks Před rokem +25

      @@SonTran-hr3mg you are right, though driving a car is definitely more capitalistic and many Americans think that public transport is socialism or communism or whatever else they've heard said but don't actually know what it really is

    • @SKy_the_Thunder
      @SKy_the_Thunder Před rokem +67

      @@SonTran-hr3mg Cars aren't public infrastructure though. And to use the roads you need to buy a car. If buses were a significant part of the equation, it might be different - but as it stands, roads are public infrastructure that forces you to depend on private companies.

    • @Snoop_Dugg
      @Snoop_Dugg Před rokem +23

      But car businesses don't have to pay for road maintenance. They get to sell you things and we foot the bill!

  • @awesomechicken818
    @awesomechicken818 Před rokem +27

    That doesn't even cover all of it. When you upgrade the roads and reduce travel time, you actually also enable more people to live even further out in the suburbs and commute even longer distances by car, therefore inducing previously non existent demand and making traffic even worse (=induced traffic).

  • @eatingsfun
    @eatingsfun Před rokem +213

    I just need just one more lane bro last one I promise!

  • @Hennue
    @Hennue Před rokem +288

    This is a basic prisoner's dilemma. The optimal choice for oneselves is to drive but that burdens everyone else so much that the cumulative burden is higher than what you gain from driving. There is also the fact that lanes take up space which makes everything further apart. Hell, in a lot of places you can't cross the street without a car.

    • @Siberius-
      @Siberius- Před rokem +38

      It's very rarely useful to focus on individuals with big society things. Often that mindset will just make efforts to bring large scale change more difficult.

    • @cocolasticot9027
      @cocolasticot9027 Před rokem +61

      Well personally the optimal choice is public transport, it's so convenient. No need to find a spot to park, I can read on the way, drink a few beers if i feel so, etc.
      The problem is that this is true only if said service is very good, which rarely occurs by itself without having people and politics actively promoting it.

    • @callidusvulpes5556
      @callidusvulpes5556 Před rokem +12

      @@Siberius- ​ Very rarely useful? It’s the only way to get a full perspective of an issue. Sure, quantitative data is going to be much more useful than qualitative or anecdotal, but it’s necessary if you want to understand the full scope of an issue.

    • @Siberius-
      @Siberius- Před rokem +5

      @@callidusvulpes5556 - I mean like, individual action. Not, data on individuals. Different topic there.

    • @MrRedstoner
      @MrRedstoner Před rokem +11

      @@cocolasticot9027 This right here. I had a car available to me, still took the public transport because I can focus on what I want (I see students hitting the textbooks for example) instead of driving

  • @CitizenAyellowblue
    @CitizenAyellowblue Před rokem +141

    Can’t we just throw in a few pods??😂😂

    • @mishynaofficial
      @mishynaofficial Před rokem +31

      Groundbreaking! 🤯 Noble prize for this pal!!!

    • @protivoush
      @protivoush Před rokem +41

      Now listen... what if we moved the pods undergroud?

    • @InventorZahran
      @InventorZahran Před rokem +30

      @@protivoush But the underground pods keep crashing into tunnel walls and blocking the tunnel for a long time! Maybe we should make the pods roll on rails so they don't get stuck so much... And since the pods don't need to be steered anymore, why don't we couple them together so we don't have to pay so many drivers?

    • @naviinprabhu2468
      @naviinprabhu2468 Před rokem +21

      And make the pods bigger,
      And link them together,
      And put them on some kind of tracks.
      Nobel prize 🏆

    • @Mr_Vosakisen
      @Mr_Vosakisen Před rokem +15

      ​@@naviinprabhu2468 I like your train of thought...

  • @Flamme-Sanabi
    @Flamme-Sanabi Před rokem +53

    "Add one more lane" is the first idea when traffic comes, but as I learned, you should not run with the first idea that comes to mind.

  • @youtubeuniversity3638
    @youtubeuniversity3638 Před rokem +40

    Essentially, to make enough road for everyone would require having a city of just road.

    • @zea_64
      @zea_64 Před rokem +13

      False, the cities are already just road and they still aren't large enough.

  • @skipskilligan7077
    @skipskilligan7077 Před rokem +39

    And there is pretty much guaranteed to be lane closures due to an accident(s) somewhere on the giant highway, at any given time.

    • @unatrek2821
      @unatrek2821 Před rokem +1

      There is often a rail closure due to accident or breakdown on UK trains, so its not just car travel thats not reliable.

    • @michaelhaydenbell
      @michaelhaydenbell Před rokem +4

      @@unatrek2821 Do not even attempt to compare those two things. A handful of regularly inspected trains travelling in single file is nowhere near the propensity for chaos as countless THOUSANDS of individual zombies barely paying attention, cutting each other off, speeding, driving vehicles in conditions that may or may not be safe for the road.

    • @unatrek2821
      @unatrek2821 Před rokem

      @@michaelhaydenbell ... We already overreact to terrorists killing 200 in a plane. So yeah terrorist killing 200 on a train will cause train security and halfhour boarding checks to be normal.... No way a terrorist can bomb enough carrs to make us require such a security step for cars. Even bridges are sooooooo strong a truck bomb can't even dent them without huge effort, that bombing of the Crimea bridge knocked some of road deck down but the pillars stayed up and fixed in month. . . Im not saying its logical, but when terrorists switch to target trains say goodbye to not having a half-hour security check... Just ignoring this likelihood is not logical. . . . Trains are easy to derail, farmers in poor countries do it often, so far the West hasn't had to deal with this and when it does they're probably overract... "List of terrorist incidents involving railway systems - Wikipedia"

  • @lamdelmundo8492
    @lamdelmundo8492 Před rokem +43

    Oil and car companies: I don't see anything wrong with this

  • @N0Xa880iUL
    @N0Xa880iUL Před rokem +23

    That freeway is such a monstrosity

  • @RegularEarthlingEngineer
    @RegularEarthlingEngineer Před rokem +63

    You just have to convince local councils of this.

    • @jacobrodriguez3632
      @jacobrodriguez3632 Před rokem +13

      Honestly though this could be a great video to show local councils to concisely make an argument against more lanes

    • @commentor3485
      @commentor3485 Před rokem

      This video is a better argument against trains/bike paths

    • @RegularEarthlingEngineer
      @RegularEarthlingEngineer Před rokem +4

      @@commentor3485 How so?

    • @commentor3485
      @commentor3485 Před rokem

      @@RegularEarthlingEngineer His argument in this video of induced demand shows well. But he paints public transportation/biking as something people do not want to use. If I was on the fence about building a passenger train, I would see this as proof that if I built the train vs the freeway. The freeway would be used more. As in this clip when they widened the road, the train lost riders/ and the bike trail lost bikers. He should have either presented induced demand without the train, or shown how the train took passengers off the road.

    • @spandanganguli6903
      @spandanganguli6903 Před rokem +3

      @@commentor3485 You have a very low opinion on the intelligence of Council persons.

  • @helljester8097
    @helljester8097 Před rokem +193

    And that’s why Geneva keeps on removing lanes and parking from the city. People hate it and complain more but there are more people who use bikes buses and trams and the public transportation offers grow. And even if it’s annoying it works….until there’s a public transportation strike.😅

    • @imperialpatriot6693
      @imperialpatriot6693 Před rokem +55

      Yeah is the same in Stockholm people complain saying stuff like: "Ah it's impossible to drive around with your car, there's always traffic jams and there is nowhere you can find an empty parking spot." and I'm like yeah that's the point! Luckily the left won here at least and there will be more investments in public transport now hopefully and car-free zones.

    • @riba2233
      @riba2233 Před rokem +1

      Yeah but still, their bike infrastructure is far from ideal and it is still pretty car centric.

    • @SweetTodd
      @SweetTodd Před rokem

      ​@@imperialpatriot6693 Lincoln must be spinning in his grave for Republicans using his name to create car dependency.

    • @kapoioBCS
      @kapoioBCS Před rokem +6

      @@imperialpatriot6693 the far right won in sweden 😢

    • @dave_sic1365
      @dave_sic1365 Před rokem

      Or a global pandemic, or energy shortages.....

  • @chacal1100
    @chacal1100 Před rokem +8

    Well, in Warsaw we have both jammed roads and packed trains every morning.

    • @archivushka
      @archivushka Před rokem

      Just one more train

    • @followengland_ballsonig2938
      @followengland_ballsonig2938 Před rokem

      dunno what its like in warsaw but more trams, buses, bike lanes, no highways in the city center, and workplaces spread more evenly around the metropolitan area, rather than concentrated in the city center

  • @mk3a
    @mk3a Před rokem +16

    In California, Santa Clara County stopped widening its highways because all of that money is sunk into extending one train 6 miles/10 km (2 train lines, costs $6-9B) and electrifying another going to San Francisco. Not to mention the high speed rail segment within the county that just passed environmental review as well as the expansion of the central train station.

    • @InventorZahran
      @InventorZahran Před rokem +7

      Finally! An American county with planners who actually know what they're doing.

    • @mk3a
      @mk3a Před rokem +6

      @@InventorZahran ...for the most part. Except 80% of the county is zoned for single-family homes. Though to be fair, Transit-Oriented Development and Urban Villages are in the works at the same time.

    • @mk3a
      @mk3a Před rokem +3

      ​​@@InventorZahran And some highway projects to add managed lanes planned actually convert regular lanes into Toll or HOV lanes rather than adding one more lane.

  • @jovindsouza3407
    @jovindsouza3407 Před rokem +18

    I mean it's super obvious. The second a method of transportation stops being inconvenient, people flock to it, which makes it inconvenient yet again.

  • @JimmySaulGoodmanMcGill1960
    @JimmySaulGoodmanMcGill1960 Před rokem +216

    Fast, easy and understandable. Keep it up

  • @foosic1742
    @foosic1742 Před rokem +20

    Dude, dude, trust me bro. BRO, just one more lane. Please bro, just one more lane, it'll fix it this time. Please just let me add one more

    • @Luckyluckyluc
      @Luckyluckyluc Před rokem +2

      This works when trains and bikes are not popular in the first place...

  • @PhilfreezeCH
    @PhilfreezeCH Před rokem +8

    The is also another effect where developers will build more suburbs along non-congested highways, thereby increasing congestion on this highway until it is too much to build another suburb there.

  • @Elkator955
    @Elkator955 Před rokem +38

    In Soviet Russia everyone gets one lane and one rail.
    In Capitalist America everyone gets a lane! (Terms and conditions apply, your next exit will be 700 feet to the left, have fun switching lanes, don't drive safely, the responsibility is not yours.)

  • @pcongre
    @pcongre Před rokem +21

    Love it!
    Only thing I'd add is something like
    ~"the same is true for PT/active mobility, only they are effective enough that we actually can build enough of that kind of infra for everyone, provided we also stop building sprawl"

  • @freyafrettchen3808
    @freyafrettchen3808 Před rokem +5

    Instead of adding lines they could just fix puplic transportation. I know many people who would abandone their car if trains/buses would drive properly.

  • @taiwenlee
    @taiwenlee Před rokem +5

    never understood why car lovers hate public transit. wouldn't you want more public transit so that less people drive so that you can have a better time actually driving instead of waiting in a traffic jam...

  • @BiigiieCheeese
    @BiigiieCheeese Před rokem +7

    I’m pretty sure people would gladly take a train or tram if it was on schedule 95% of the time like Japan, was quick like in China or essentially free like in India. Adding more lanes only adds to traffic because our public transportation system is essentially worthless, with it being just barely less inconvenient than walking everywhere

  • @InventorZahran
    @InventorZahran Před rokem +6

    The only place where adding another lane genuinely helps is when there is one section of highway that is abnormally narrow compared to the rest. Widening this section to match the other parts would remove the need for merging/unmerging lanes at the bottleneck points, which are major sources of traffic jams.

  • @melody3741
    @melody3741 Před rokem +4

    Its absolutely hilarious how the trains and bike paths barely lose capacity when people use them

  • @satsuke
    @satsuke Před rokem +5

    I agree in principal .. except .. where I am we have neither rail lines nor bike ianes, and bus lines take a 15 minute drive into a 2 hour / multi transfer mess due to balkanized bus service.
    so they add more lanes

  • @playstation8779
    @playstation8779 Před rokem +9

    Decided on becoming a civil infrastructure engineer. I feel like I found somthing I like because of you. Just wanted to say thankyou.
    It wasn't just him but I wanted to do engineering to begin with just didn't know what branch but after much research I found this aligns with what I enjoy and understand best.

  • @adrianrehwald3253
    @adrianrehwald3253 Před rokem +4

    Another important aspect of more lanes are the inefficient motorway on-ramps and exits: For about 500m before an exit and the first 500m after an on-ramp people use to drive in the right lane. If the average commute is 10km on the motorway, you spend 10% of your trip in the right lane. And humans are bad at lane switches in particular in dense traffic. So for (sub-)urban traffic going from 2 to 4 lanes may almost double the capacity, going from 4 to 8 lanes does not. And going from 8 lanes to e.g. 10 lanes makes hardly any difference at all, because the additional capacity is consumed by the inefficiency of 2*10 lane switches.
    On long-haul distance it may make a difference if everybody would pretty much stay in his lane for 100km+. But over the the back country you rarely see motorways with 4+ lanes anyway.

  • @Matty002
    @Matty002 Před rokem +4

    it doesnt just steal commuters, it steals money because roads are expensive to maintain, which easily takes from other transportation budgets, so its a double loss

  • @RustOnWheels
    @RustOnWheels Před rokem +5

    Yes and off ramps to your destination.
    Off ramps to places where everyone needs to go are the reason why even highways with less traffic will eventually lead to traffic jams.
    I see this every workday. Literally.

  • @juliuscaesar5397
    @juliuscaesar5397 Před rokem +12

    Even though I am a right-winger, I will always support this channel because of its rhetoric supporting trains. I am visually impaired, and thus I may never be able to drive in the future. If my city does not adopt a better public transit system, I may be completely screwed in the years to come.

    • @TheAmericanCatholic
      @TheAmericanCatholic Před rokem +2

      I ama right winger too and I will support his transit and walkability rhetoric because I prefer to exercise instead of driving.

  • @youtubesucks8024
    @youtubesucks8024 Před rokem +6

    30 lanes and we solved traffic

    • @_Mintyz_
      @_Mintyz_ Před rokem

      And now we also have a giant sauna to go with it lol

  • @Nerobyrne
    @Nerobyrne Před rokem +11

    It might not even be terrible, because eventually you'd have enough lanes.
    EXCEPT:
    Those lanes have to depart from the highway at some point. And since you don't have 8, 10, 12 lanes into the city center, it's gonna jam there. Which will of course lead to jams down the road, potentially up the off-ramp, and now we're standing on the freeway.

    • @unatrek2821
      @unatrek2821 Před rokem +1

      US has shown you can build enough roads, 90% drive to work. . . Roads cost govt $1000 per user, transit is $5000. Roads are best, faster, allow free choices not hoping the govt and union likes you. Its amazing how people skip facts and numbers, and just go with gut feeling that transit is good. Remember Covid when it removed half the traffic and there was zero congestion, we could have that if we spent $2000 a year on roads but we choose not to since we want that $1000 and don't mind rush hour being congested 4 hours a day.... In Dallas, Texas, there is almost no congestion except morons trying to drive downtown, other 99% of the region is perfect driving at wonderful 80mph, vs walking to and riding a 20mph train to place I don't want to go to. Transit sucks, it just does, its amazing the illogic to deny this, by fat nerds in big houses who in every other way are awful consumeristic aholes too, like us all in the West. To not be live in a cottage next to workplace, nothing else will do, but nerds buy huge houses too,

  • @longsolstice6670
    @longsolstice6670 Před rokem +3

    I live in Southern California next to Interstate 5, it's always jammed with cars and they are adding more lanes. They did the same in the past. It fixes nothing.

  • @neznaboh
    @neznaboh Před rokem +2

    Also more suburban sprawl causes jams, because they arent serviced by bus or train...or bicycle lanes.

  • @Dawg.Wit.
    @Dawg.Wit. Před rokem +3

    YOOO SHORT FORM ADAM SOMETHING?!??!😵😵😵

  • @pizzaisneat
    @pizzaisneat Před rokem +4

    just fly across the city like super man

  • @IBeforeAExceptAfterK
    @IBeforeAExceptAfterK Před rokem +3

    As someone living in Houston's metro area, I have mixed feelings about the Katy Freeway being held up as the crowning example of "JuSt OnE mOrE lAnE bRo". On the one hand, I like the impact it has when I'm discussing urbanism with the people who live in my area, since everyone I know is personally familiar with how awful that road is. On the other hand, I'm ashamed that my home is essentially the carbrain capital of the world.

  • @grassytramtracks
    @grassytramtracks Před rokem +2

    Short and sweet, perfectly sums up induced demand and the Downs-Thomson Paradox. And we don't build a bike lane or don't improve public transport, using low usage as a justification, an analogy I've heard which I love is that it's like having a city on either bank of a crocodile infested river and saying there's no need to join the 2 sides with a bridge because no one is swimming across

  • @tobyk.4911
    @tobyk.4911 Před rokem +2

    In Germany, freeways / highways have either two or three lanes for each direction almost everywhere (except near crossings, where extra lanes might be needed for the diverting directions).

  • @lenrussell2424
    @lenrussell2424 Před rokem +3

    I swear, pls just give my city a train line.

  • @kevinslater4126
    @kevinslater4126 Před rokem +10

    "Suburb"
    Well, there's your problem.

  • @chocoman45
    @chocoman45 Před rokem +1

    They cut down century old trees and eminent domain'd peoples properties in my country for more lanes.
    And to everyone's surprise, roads are still clogged.

  • @whatsagoodusername823
    @whatsagoodusername823 Před rokem +2

    For everyone who’s confused why this means trains are the solution:
    The problem is over saturation. It’s the same reason everyone was told as children to get engineering degrees and now it’s hard to find engineering jobs. Sure, cars are convenient if you’re the only person on the road. But then everyone and their grandmother has the same “brilliant” idea at the same time, and now the road is backed up and it takes 2 hours to get somewhere the train would have gotten you to in 30 minutes. And after repeating this process for a while you finally give up hope that the roads will ever be clear, so you try to go back to the train, but because nobody was using the train, it got defunded and now only arrives every other hour, so now you’re stuck with no good options. And remember, you can add as many lanes as you want, but there are only so many exits, and things get backed up fast when everyone is practically forced to use the roads and people are constantly slowing down trying to find openings to cross 8 lanes of traffic.
    It doesn’t matter if you have the freedom to leave whenever you want, if you arrive way later than you would have if you had waited for the train.

  • @louispitalo7401
    @louispitalo7401 Před rokem +12

    I remember when the KATY was just four lanes each way, back in 1977 ,I don’t even recognize this monster,

  • @TheSpearkan
    @TheSpearkan Před rokem +11

    Always remember:
    There's a difference between one person making a decision, and a thousand people making one decision.

  • @ishathakor
    @ishathakor Před rokem +1

    the katy freeway is my sleep paralysis demon

  • @sbeve7445
    @sbeve7445 Před rokem +3

    This is also why we should also focus on improving existing transit service. Japanese Shinkansen is able to do it despite having tough competition from air travel and highway. If your transit is actually faster than driving, very little people would choose driving even if you choose to widen the highway.
    Intercity train in America really is a complete pain to use, even before the Amtrack days. They are slow, sharing track with freight trains and frankly, sometimes unsafe (Amercia didn't have mandatory ATC installation until 2018, and there have been a lot of train accidents before). Biking is impractical for the distance between Suburbs and downtown, plus the security in downtown doesn't give people enough confidence that their bike won't be stolen.
    Toronto is probably the only city in North America realizing this, that people flock to the highway isn't just because there are more space, but because the existing service sucks. Which is why it is electrifying its regional rail, and building new subway to serve as relief line.

  • @rhysbaker7456
    @rhysbaker7456 Před rokem +3

    I mean, people could just increase the capacity of train and cycle infrastructure, but I'm guessing it's not as immediately profitable, by which I mean profitable.

    • @r47
      @r47 Před rokem +1

      how profitable are highways?

  • @yeatnumber1Dmuncher
    @yeatnumber1Dmuncher Před rokem +7

    "You know what *would* fix traffic?"
    *"T R A I N S"*

  • @andrzejroskowicz245
    @andrzejroskowicz245 Před rokem +3

    Now do the same thing but instead add 3D-lanes underground with RGB lights end EVs. The results will be completely opposite because of how si-fi it sounds.

  • @deebte__
    @deebte__ Před rokem +8

    just delete the road and 4-track the train line, more train service, make the bike path a little wider too

  • @mariusnita4346
    @mariusnita4346 Před rokem +3

    I've been wondering if you were gonna try to make some shorts. Very cool and easy to understand clip here. Keep up the good work!

  • @eddwincedeno5387
    @eddwincedeno5387 Před rokem +3

    I pretty much make sure my coworkers know this since I take public transportation in Los Angeles. Takes me 2 hours to get home from work since they mostly use bus and could really use more robust rail transportation.

  • @kisaragi-hiu
    @kisaragi-hiu Před rokem +2

    Increasing train frequency also induces demand. But an at-capacity train simply becomes packed without jamming, unlike an at-capacity highway.

    • @steemlenn8797
      @steemlenn8797 Před rokem +1

      And you can pack a lot of people in a train. Just ask Tokyo-nites.

  • @fedos
    @fedos Před rokem +28

    Y'all got anymore of them lanes?

  • @dtape
    @dtape Před rokem +2

    Also more lanes encourage developers to build more suburban sprawl further out adding more drivers to fill and congest the added lanes.

  • @Klaudiuszeg
    @Klaudiuszeg Před rokem +3

    I wish we have a train going every 15 min instead of 1 hour.

  • @Oimfiel
    @Oimfiel Před rokem +22

    So what you're saying is we just need to add so many lanes, that there will be enough space even if everyone decides to drive alone in their car. Got it.

    • @bramvanduijn8086
      @bramvanduijn8086 Před rokem +2

      Staggered working schedules would also help a lot. So either ruin nature or ruin social interaction, those are the only options. Trains? Never heard of em.

  • @Gurfi28
    @Gurfi28 Před rokem +1

    Adding more lanes can ease traffic congestion in certain situations. If traffic flow is impeded by on-ramps for example, adding an additional line will minimize the impact said on-ramp has on the traffic that is already on the highway.

  • @C1Ansy
    @C1Ansy Před rokem +2

    The picture of the freeway is a total infrastructure mess. How can anyone come up with this and think that it is a superb solution?

  • @sweetjimmy
    @sweetjimmy Před rokem +14

    Hey Adam! Here's a serious request. Please also make a YT short explaining why cars are the worst form of transportation 🙏🏻

    • @unatrek2821
      @unatrek2821 Před rokem +7

      Cars are the best form of travel, timewise, on all bust 5 mile region around a metro. Unless you don't like seeing your family or working an extra hour the choice of transit is the worst choice over a car. I have taken many a bus and train and MInnesota, this is just a fact. Cars are the best. , , , ,

    • @Staniele
      @Staniele Před rokem +2

      @@unatrek2821 sure you can go anywhere you want anytime you want, but they are also hideously expensive horrible for the environment Usually badly built more than cars usually have some in app purchases (look at Tesla. They are literally selling features that are already built into the car) and again they’re expensive as fuck. The typical British citizen players around £330. PER MONTH that is a lot of money well public transportation usually it’s just to bucks

    • @unatrek2821
      @unatrek2821 Před rokem +3

      @@Staniele ... Your facts are bit off.
      Cars arent hideously expensive, every worker in US from CEO to secretary can afford 1, and I use to buy running cars at Goodwill car auction for $1000. You can buy new car for $150000 in US that lasts 10 years, so $1500 a year plus $1500 petrol plus $1500 maintenance and insurance, so $4500, and not fair to add govt taxes which are really just for revenue since roads are darn cheap to maintain (see below). Also if saves 1 hour vs transit at $30wage this is 250daysX$30 so $7500 extra income, let alone benefit from being able to rush kids to hospital, school, road trip. This is why people unless their govt refuses to build enough roads chooses cars, US, Canada, even France outside Paris..... Its this simple.
      COMPARE TO TRANSIT, counting tax subsidy the average trip costs about $10, so 250X$10X2bothways so $5000. This $5000 is just a bit less than probable car cost of $8000. In US we spend $200billion on roads, that per 200m workers needing transport is $1000, this is FAR FAR FAR less a tax burden then transit is, at $10 per rider per trip.
      POLLUTION... Cars especially once we go EV are not SUPER worse than buses and trains, which often run 75% empty and require more concrete and steel. I admit pollution is the #1 strong case against cars, but do you have any specifics how much cars add to pollution vs transit (1ton? 2 tons co2, out of 15ton average??)...... And, if we drive and can work and earn more can't we just use that extra wages to buy more solar and wind and offset the EV car pollution????

    • @dave_sic1365
      @dave_sic1365 Před rokem +3

      It's the other way around. Cars are perfect, that's why more people use the highway whenever a new lane is added.

    • @_Mintyz_
      @_Mintyz_ Před rokem +2

      ​@@unatrek2821 Even with climate stuff one thing I could add is the heating effect of roads. More roads = hotter cities and add that with global warming it basically becomes a sauna outside and if people add air conditioning inside you make the city much hotter as well(seen in HK)

  • @ajay0841
    @ajay0841 Před rokem +3

    So many unaccounted variables and over simplified explanation. If the lanes get wider that gets people off their bicycles or trains and into their car?
    Ok.

  • @zaberfang
    @zaberfang Před rokem +2

    When will people realize that these kinds of roads are made so that car companies will profit?

  • @luckerowl8990
    @luckerowl8990 Před rokem +2

    "If you build it they will come" Jay Foreman

  • @TheCheese9
    @TheCheese9 Před rokem +3

    Please bro just one more lane bro i promise just one more

  • @alphonsobutlakiv789
    @alphonsobutlakiv789 Před rokem +5

    So why dose this happen in places that don't have public transit? I think the real problem is the fact that all roads are made to meet the big roads, and also entrance and exits are limited, so people can't change there mind after joining the road.

  • @Lausanamo
    @Lausanamo Před rokem +2

    "Insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over again expecting stuff to change."

  • @theonetruefishboy3239
    @theonetruefishboy3239 Před rokem +2

    Something else to keep in mind is that roads don't have to be overcrowded for traffic to come to a standstill. A slow vehicle, busy exit lane, or crash in so much as one lane in an 8 lane road can slow everything down as people have to merge to get in/out of lanes.

    • @randgrithr7387
      @randgrithr7387 Před rokem

      If those people would just increase their following distance and allow people to merge, it wouldn't be so bad.

    • @theonetruefishboy3239
      @theonetruefishboy3239 Před rokem

      @@randgrithr7387 that is never going to happen.

  • @iTheToti
    @iTheToti Před rokem +5

    Short yet simple

  • @MrTimAway
    @MrTimAway Před rokem +3

    So if adding more lanes just shifts people to use cars, the inverse must be true as well: Get rid of lanes and more people will use bikes and public transport. Isn't that what a lot of cities want?

    • @kashug.
      @kashug. Před rokem +1

      Most people are not "cyclists" or "carpeople". They are just people that need to get from A to B - and they will choose the method the method based on things like how convinient it is, cost etc.
      So if you make driving driving more convinient for them - more people drive. If you make driving less convinient more people use other methods.
      But also, if a road is jammed, you could consider improving public transport (more convinient busses and trains), and maybe look at the cost. And more people would take public transport - and this reducing the jam on the road.

    • @puppieslovies
      @puppieslovies Před rokem

      Yes, it is mostly true. But having fewer lanes doesn't make bikes safer or reduce the minimum travel time of bikes. We need good city planning for that

    • @MrTimAway
      @MrTimAway Před rokem

      @@puppieslovies Having fewer lanes means less people will use a car. In addition to that, the now available space of those former lanes can now be used to build safe bike lanes.

  • @Void-tw6sx
    @Void-tw6sx Před rokem +1

    America - strict zoning, add more lanes, no trains like MRT, more cars = taxes.

  • @alphawolf7608
    @alphawolf7608 Před rokem +2

    I like how this is a proven fact yet so many people still think it's a good idea

  • @sam08g16
    @sam08g16 Před rokem +3

    Brilliant explanation!

  • @officialkidwizard
    @officialkidwizard Před rokem +11

    We call this the 401. The Toronto/Mississauga experience, if you will.

  • @KeganTheTowel
    @KeganTheTowel Před rokem +2

    I doubt many people in Houston were using bikes to get anywhere. It's hot as hell.

    • @_Mintyz_
      @_Mintyz_ Před rokem +1

      Yes but roads only makes the city hotter so if they add trees and remove roads and the city will actually be nice and cool. Crazy what trees and reflective colours can do

  • @eedobee
    @eedobee Před rokem +2

    When I put down an extra lane in simcity, it turns from one red lane into two green lanes. Checkmate.

  • @O.Reagano
    @O.Reagano Před rokem +4

    Just one more lane man, we’ll fix traffic
    C’mon man just one more land just one mor- we’ll fix traffic
    just one more lane
    just one more lane
    just one more lane

    • @Luckyluckyluc
      @Luckyluckyluc Před rokem

      If trains and bikes were no option in the first place, this would work - no problem...

  • @Subher0
    @Subher0 Před rokem +2

    Not to mention that traffic moves as fast as the weakest link in its trajectory. More lanes doesn't fix that.

  • @vasaaviarion
    @vasaaviarion Před rokem +1

    I used to drive that road every day to get to school. It's absolutely as bad as it looks and only drivable during the early hours of the morning when there is less people on the road.

  • @zephyrprime8
    @zephyrprime8 Před rokem +5

    Hey Adam, I got this crazy idea on how to fix traffic problems! What if we made like, cars but they're being pulled by one car so only one car needs an engine. Then we could fit much more people in each car. We could even make it go on rails or something.

  • @ElderStatesman
    @ElderStatesman Před rokem +6

    Of course people should have more options in transit to cut down on motor vehicle traffic. But people still need to travel on their own terms, and having train schedules that aren't frequent enough put people in a bind. Personal vehicles like cars will never go away, but at least we can provide more options and make traveling safe for everyone, including those on bikes. I just get this feeling that people want cars to cease to exist. If that's the case, they're pursuing a fool's errand.

    • @_Mintyz_
      @_Mintyz_ Před rokem +3

      If you watch his videos he doesn't want cars to disappear just to be highly discouraged (adding 1 way roads in urban areas and reducing parking spots but having large parking area on the outskirts of the city which has train / bus connection all over the city)

    • @followengland_ballsonig2938
      @followengland_ballsonig2938 Před rokem +1

      i mean its not like people use cars cause they like it.

    • @_Mintyz_
      @_Mintyz_ Před rokem +3

      @@followengland_ballsonig2938 yeah you would be able to go leave the city and drive for fun between cities or on tracks ect

  • @marksmanmerc1
    @marksmanmerc1 Před rokem +1

    Literally zero trains or alternative transportation where I live so when the highway goes to three lanes traffic immediately disappears.

  • @hyacinthmoon6289
    @hyacinthmoon6289 Před rokem +1

    I’m from Katy and was alive when they were constructing this monstrosity. It’s a headache and a nightmare and now my home town is jam packed with people and stores to the point it is almost difficult to function without becoming furious over the constant traffic on every single street be it the freeway or back roads. It ruined Katy IMO and turned it into just an extension of busy ass Houston.
    ** please don’t blow me up about how it’s really some other urban planning’s fault that the city turned out to be the way it is. In my mind it’s because of the freeways thank you and good day, sir.

  • @amadeosendiulo2137
    @amadeosendiulo2137 Před rokem +40

    You should end the video with "And that's how" so it would automatically play the rest playing the beginning.

    • @chrisogrady28
      @chrisogrady28 Před rokem +7

      "and that's how does adding more lanes"
      doesn't work at all mate

    • @VelumCaeli
      @VelumCaeli Před rokem +10

      “And that’s the answer to the question” also fits, and fits better too.

    • @xXJ4FARGAMERXx
      @xXJ4FARGAMERXx Před rokem +10

      I think he shouldn't because it's an old and overused gag