The mobility solution for Houston - Part 1 of 3: Express Lane Network
In my kickoff post, I promised a solution to our traffic congestion woes. In an amazing coincidence, three articles recently in the LA Times have laid out the key elements. The first article (abstract) explains that:- Rail is only marginally helpful in a dispersed city like LA or Houston (and extremely expensive)
- Road building is beneficial but has limits
- Express buses are cost effective
- Congestion pricing in EZ-tag-only toll lanes can be used to create a 24/7 high-speed network available to buses, van and car-pools, and people in a hurry and willing to pay for it
And the neat part is that this doesn't have to be a multi-decade project. A few left-lane and HOV conversions could create a relatively comprehensive network very rapidly, although interchanges will be tricky and may take some extra time and money. And, as I mentioned before, I think a great name for this network would be "MaX Lanes" - Managed eXpress lanes that move the maximum number of vehicles at maximum speed.
So that gives us the relatively inexpensive high-speed network. Tomorrow, part 2: creating convenient options on that network with private transit.
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