Isn't anyone else the least bit worried about traffic increasing in 5-10 years? (Los Angeles: apartment complexes)

[Klarion]

I see no one ever talk about this and never see anything on the news. I heard that within 5-10 years the majority of traffic routes will be in permanent gridlock 24/7. Increasing amount of apartment complexes, more people, more cars, but no solution or plan to what to do about these freeways.

I'm not from the West Coast but the first thing I noticed was how god-awful public transportation was. The buses are almost always late, and when you try to figure out the schedule, MBTA doesn't even know where their own buses are.

I tried to be "Green" and stay off the highway but I live 8 minutes away from work. It's $1.75 both to and from work so it's still cheaper for me gas-wise to drive.

What are people's thoughts on this? Does anyone even care?

[MordinSolus]

Originally Posted by Klarion

I see no one ever talk about this and never see anything on the news. I heard that within 5-10 years the majority of traffic routes will be in permanent gridlock 24/7.

Why would the news report on stuff that's made up and stupid?

[IM90046]

Why worry about something you have almost zero control over?

[Mike121]

If traffic ever did get that bad, people would change their behavior. If biking were faster than driving, people would bike. If walking was faster than driving, people would walk.

[afdinatl]

They said the same 5-10 years ago

[JohnG72]

When gas went over $4 a gallon for an extended time, the traffic lessened and the subways and rails got crowded. Some areas of LA are bad enough that people are basically forced to use rail lines or adjust working areas.

It's really only a matter of time before the diehard "leave me alone in my car" folks capitulate. 90 minutes each way to work becomes more than one can take.

Hopefully future rail plans include a line that loops the SFV, as well as one going down the 405, one going along the 110 and connecting the green, expo, and blue lines.

[theraven24]

Traffic is bound to increase, especially with all the people that continue to move here. That's not news.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by Klarion

I see no one ever talk about this and never see anything on the news. I heard that within 5-10 years the majority of traffic routes will be in permanent gridlock 24/7. Increasing amount of apartment complexes, more people, more cars, but no solution or plan to what to do about these freeways.

I'm not from the West Coast but the first thing I noticed was how god-awful public transportation was. The buses are almost always late, and when you try to figure out the schedule, MBTA doesn't even know where their own buses are.

I tried to be "Green" and stay off the highway but I live 8 minutes away from work. It's $1.75 both to and from work so it's still cheaper for me gas-wise to drive.

What are people's thoughts on this? Does anyone even care?

Are you from Boston? It's called Metro here and not MBTA.

And I can tell you the bus system in Los Angeles is 100x better than the system in Boston.

I am calling BS on this statement:

within 5-10 years the majority of traffic routes will be in permanent gridlock 24/7

I drove from Echo Park to Pasadena in about 15 minutes last night at midnight. In five years that will be permanent gridlock. LOL.

And actually something has been done to mitigate traffic, and that is improving the transit system. While these new rail lines are awesome, I think the biggest thing Metro can do to improve mobility is to create bus only lanes on Venice, Pico, Olympic, Wilshire (which is happening), 3rd, Santa Monica, Sunset, Hollywood, Grand, Broadway, Vermont, Western, La Brea, Fairfax, La Cienega - and any other major bus corridors I forgot. Make the frequencies on these lines be around 5 minutes at rush hour, and without any traffic to block the lanes they would operate as fast or faster than LRT.

People are moving to Los Angeles whether we like it or not. I hear people complain about building more apartments, but what do they suggest we do? Put up a wall around Southern California and keep people from moving in? People are not coming because we are building excess apartments, we are barely keeping up with demand for housing as it is.

[disgruntled la native]

Well, if a big earthquake hits suddenly people won't be moving to LA. Let's hope it happens soon.

[909er]

I think they say that every 10 years or so. There are more carpools today, and the soon to be coming self driving cars can fix a lot of gridlock by better driving abilities, like not slamming on brakes and all that.