What are possible traffic solutions for Los Angeles (car insurance, how much)

[califantastic]

Live walking distance from where you work. Done.

[BRinSM]

4 day work weeks

removeg the stigma of taking the bus

smaller cars

better timed traffic signals

staggered work hours

more expensive gas

tax incentives for shorter commutes

limiting the time of day that truckers can use the roads/make deliveries

oh yeah, helicopter commuting!

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Originally Posted by matt345

IMO, LA's traffic problems have a lot to do with the fact that it chose to be car city, opting for freeways instead of mass transit, yet it built an incomplete freeway system. Century City was built in anticipation of the Beverly Hills freeway, yet it was never built due to resident opposition. Then decades later they try to build a subway through that area and residents oppose that too.

You want to be a car city? Fine. But let the planners construct the freeways necessary to be a car city. You don't want that freeway built through your neighborhood? Then let them build a subway. You can't have it both ways.

Totally. This is a very big reason why L.A. transportation is screwed up. Too much favor was given to wealthier areas such as Beverly Hills, Laurel Canyon, and South Pasadena. They successfully stopped freeways running through their communities, and look at the results.

Whether L.A. ends up with more subways or not doesn't matter, really. We'll all be dead before a coherent and fully functioning system is in place.

[uptown_urbanist]

^ That argument doesn't work for South Pasadena. South Pasadena may have stopped a freeway, but it has a light rail line through the heart of town.

[jbunniii]

It may be an unpopular idea, but any capitalist knows that if you want people to consume less of something, then make it more expensive. Even modest congestion charges during peak traffic hours would deter many unnecessary vehicle trips and improve traffic flow for those who need to be on the road and are willing to pay for the privilege.

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by jbunniii

It may be an unpopular idea, but any capitalist knows that if you want people to consume less of something, then make it more expensive. Even modest congestion charges during peak traffic hours would deter many unnecessary vehicle trips and improve traffic flow for those who need to be on the road and are willing to pay for the privilege.

true, imagine if the jersey turnpike was free!

[MuffinCups]

Great Charles, what a genius you are. I forgot about my trust fund, I will call banker this afternoon and transfer $1,000,000.00 to my checking account for a down payment on my new house in Bel Air.

Though your thoughts are appreciated, we all can't afford a nice home in a reasonably safe neighborhood. I like where I currently live, nice walkable streets, farmers market, drug store and post office in walking distance. Cooler weather than inland year round.

I have turned down opportunities in Pasadena & Santa Monica based on the commute. Show me 2/3 Bed./2 Bath single family homes on the westside below $400K and we will be in business.

I have never and will never rent unless my dream home is being built or current home has been destroyed in a fire.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by MuffinCups

Great Charles, what a genius you are.


Show me 2/3 Bed./2 Bath single family homes on the westside below $400K and we will be in business.

These are recent sales prices, not pie in the sky list prices.

11568 Braddock Dr, Culver City, CA 90230

1609 Ashland Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405

3858 Girard Ave, Culver City, CA 90232

5108 Valley Ridge Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90043

1951 S Holt Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Build out the Freeway System as originally planned circa late 1950s early 1960s and restore the Light Rail to its original extent. While no big city can be free of traffic, this would make things much, much better.

Same goes for "Los Angeles Del Norte" where I now live.

[streetscenes]

The problem with building more freeways is that by the time they are complete they are obsolete. The Century Freeway is the last freeway built in LA and it's already too small. Also buying all of the land for a freeway right-of-way is prohibitively expensive. One of the reasons they are now contemplating doing the 710 as a tunnel rather than surface route is that the savings from not buying out all of the property along the way helps to offset the costs of the tunnel.

Solutions are 1) more light rail and subway; 2) expand current freeways with multiple levels like the 110 south of downtown; 3) more dedicated bike lanes; 4) employee incentives for flex schedule and work from home; 5) congestion pricing; 6) rules for business deliveries (i.e. big rigs can only deliver to grocery store at night).