We've spent $365 billion on highways and added essentially zero new drivers since 2005. Shouldn't traffic congestion be improving?
Demographic shifts and government investments seem poised to lead us to transportation nirvana... so why haven't they?
The federal government has spent $365 billion out of the Highway Trust Fund's highway account since 2005, pouring money into new roads, capacity improvements, and system preservation. At the same time, fewer people are driving, and those that are are doing it less: total annual vehicle-miles traveled haven't budged for almost a decade even as we've added 20 million new residents, and per-capita VMT has fallen significantly. The number of cars on the road has remained essentially unchanged, cars per 1,000 residents peaked in 2007, and young people are doing just fine without a driver's license, thank you.
More roads and fewer cars—that's a recipe for improved mobility and reduced congestion if I've ever heard one.
How's that working out for you?
Blowing hundreds of billions on roads hasn't helped because more roads don't reduce congestion in the long run. This isn't progress, and it shouldn't cost so much money just to tread water. If you want to reduce traffic congestion, institute a congestion charge. If you want to get people to their destinations faster, give buses dedicated lanes, build grade-separated high-capacity transit, and allow more housing next to job centers.
Imagine how much better our commutes would be if we'd spent that $400 billion on transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure that doesn't have to contend with car-generated traffic congestion. Here's to hoping we spend the next $400 billion more wisely, though I'm not holding my breath.