Untangling gridlock

Everyone in Los Angeles knows we can’t do anything about traffic congestion. We complain about it, but gridlock just keeps getting worse. Each year, the typical rush-hour traveler wastes 93 hours ââ?¬â?? more than two workweeks ââ?¬â?? stuck in traffic. Under current plans, congestion will drive up travel delays by another 11% over the next 25 years, ensuring that L.A. remains the congestion capital of the nation. Even our regional planners resign themselves to ever-worsening congestion. The passage of Proposition 1B, which allows the state to sell $19.9 billion in bonds for transportation, still doesn’t generate enough money to pay for all the improvements we need. We’re restrained by technical problems, and we don’t have space for new lanes. Yet other cities of the world have faced the same challenges without surrendering to congestion.