The Future Of U.S. Ground Transportation

Anthony Downs reports on the future of U.S. ground transportation from 2000 to 2020 to the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

1 minute read

March 28, 2001, 8:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Anthony Down's complete testimony makes for fascinating reading. One excerpt: "How likely is America to resolve the many problems with its future ground transportation? ... Regarding traffic congestion, I do not believe there is any such thing as a solution or a remedy that will stop congestion from getting worse. We can and probably should built moreroads to accommodate new growth areas, and better repair the roads we already have. We should also develop more effective means of public transit. But the desires of the Americanpublic for low-density living served by private transport and the immense flexibility it provideswill not be diverted into any huge shift into mass transit. Moreover, all the added public transitwe build will not really reduce future traffic congestion much, as our experience to date soclearly demonstrates. Some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation occurs in those MSAsbest served by large-scale public transit systems, such as those in New York, San Francisco, andBoston."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Thursday, March 22, 2001 in The Brookings Institution

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.