Quote of the Day - Freeway

I like the following quote I found in the Auckland Rail Development Plan.

Won’t the new motorway [freeway] construction relieve the traffic congestion?

The Government is making a huge investment in roads.

The expanded motorway network will undoubtedly improve off-peak travel speeds and road safety in the short term. These roads will also reduce truck travel times and freight costs in the short term. However, motorway expansion is much less effective than good-quality Passenger Transport systems at moving the huge number of people who wish to travel at peak periods. Moreover, current projections show that by the time Transit NZ’s 10-year programme is complete, traffic growth will have outstripped the increased roading capacity. Average morning peak travel speeds will reduce. In other words, roads alone will not provide long-term sustainable solutions to Auckland’s congestion. Passenger Transport enhancements are required as well.

It needs to be recognised that a single lane of motorway will only move around 2,000 vehicles per hour, or around 2,400 people per hour. In contrast, a single lane of busway can carry around 12,000 people per hour and a single line of rail can carry over 20,000 people per hour.

In the few major cities which have attempted a private car/motorway transport solution, such as Los Angeles, the huge scale of motorways has caused major urban blight. Traffic congestion is far worse in Los Angeles than in New York or Chicago, both of which use good-quality rail transport as well as roads.

Couldn't have said it better myself.