The Digital Press

Traffic congestion results from complex factors like limited road throughput, bottlenecks at intersections, and the nonlinear effects of adding cars beyond capacity. Rather than simply widening roads, better understanding and managing these dynamics, along with offering attractive alternatives, could reduce delays and improve travel flow.

Why it matters: Cars have a maximum throughput (~1800 cars/hour/lane) beyond which congestion and delay rise sharply, limiting travel speeds regardless of posted limits.

The big picture: Traffic bottlenecks often occur at intersections with limited green-light time; widening roads alone won’t fix these chokepoints or downstream bottlenecks.

Quick takeaway: Marginal drivers who tolerate delays set traffic levels, and latent demand means improved flow often attracts new drivers, reintroducing congestion.

Commenters say: Readers highlight that road widening doesn’t resolve intersection limits; dynamic congestion pricing is suggested as an effective way to reduce traffic by internalizing delay costs and encouraging shifts to off-peak travel and alternative transport modes.