Increasing Mobility Instead Of Reducing Congestion

"L.A. is too dispersed for a rail system to take most people where they want to go, nor can rail's relatively low rider capacity influence urban development in significant and desirable ways. Meanwhile, rail's huge construction costs and operating subsidies divert resources from more suitable transit projects. Advocates of rail transit say it would siphon excess traffic from roads and freeways. But the proportion of travelers riding rail is invariably minuscule, and any increase in freeway speeds is fleeting, as new drivers fill the available space.

...At first, new boulevards and freeways cut travel time, but as soon as drivers notice the renewed convenience, they'd motor onto the added asphalt and restore congestion. That's why the main goal of L.A. public transportation should not be to reduce congestion but to provide more mobility. That means supplying transit service to as many people as possible."

Thanks to Chris Steins