Will we always have traffic jams?
TVA asks Will we always have traffic jams? and, contradicting Kate’s Law that the answer to a headline question is always “no” it seems the answer this time is “yes”.
However, the two experts consulted each propose one idea: that construction sites should be better managed, and that we should spend a lot more on public transit. Neither of those things is going to happen in the short term. But neither expert even seems to remember that we found out during the height of the pandemic that a lot of us can work from home, which keeps vehicles off the road. It’s almost as if mention of the pandemic has become taboo.
steph 07:45 on 2024-09-05 Permalink
Won’t self driving cars solve the traffic problem for us?
Kate 08:21 on 2024-09-05 Permalink
Flying cars, steph.
Andrew 09:06 on 2024-09-05 Permalink
I’m on your side Kate, but we may need to update the Wikipedia article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines
Chris 09:30 on 2024-09-05 Permalink
steph, in case that’s not sarcasm, the answer is no. Small efficiencies may be gained at first, but induced demand will take it all away. And anyway, self-driving cars don’t make the roads bigger, there’s still only room for so many.
Ramsay 13:40 on 2024-09-05 Permalink
I have also seen the argument made that self driving cars will increase traffic because they will enable today’s drivers to become passengers and so not mind spending the time sitting in traffic since they will just be on their phone or laptop
P 20:51 on 2024-09-05 Permalink
I’m impressed, because that is one of the few times that it is indeed a contradiction to Kate’s Law, possibly the first I’ve seen.
On that note, ever since I learned it, I’ve scrutinized headlines like that. A neat thing.