At its widest point, right here, it spans 26 lanes including parallel roads, before

在最寬的地方，就在這裡，它橫跨26條車道，包括平行道路，然後是

it intersects with another freeway, creating this massive web of pavement. The Katy Freeway

它與另一條高速公路相交，形成了這個巨大的人行道網。凱蒂高速公路

is among the widest in the world. But it didn't start out this big. The freeway was initially

是世界上最寬闊的地方之一。但它一開始並沒有這麼大。這條高速公路最初是

built in the 1960's with 6 lanes in most places. But as the suburbs and office space

建於上世紀60年代，大部分地方都是6車道。但隨著郊區和辦公場所的

around Houston started growing in the 1980' s and 90's and more people began using the

休斯敦周圍在20世紀80年代和90年代開始增長，越來越多的人開始使用。

freeway— it became a traffic nightmare. By 2004, it was ranked the second worst bottleneck

高速公路--它成了交通噩夢。到2004年，它被列為第二大瓶頸。

in the country. To accommodate the growing commuter class, the city began a nearly 3

在全國。為了適應日益增長的通勤階層，該市開始了近3。

billion dollar expansion project, to add the additional lanes. The solution seems natural

億美元的擴建項目，以增加額外的車道。這個解決方案似乎很自然

— more lanes equals less congestion. But traffic didn't get any better. In fact,

- 更多的車道等於更少的擁堵。但交通並沒有得到任何改善。事實上。

it got worse, in both the morning and afternoon commutes.

它變得更糟，在上午和下午的通勤時間。

The reason why hinges on a simple economic theory. One that is often overlooked, because

原因就在於一個簡單的經濟理論。一個經常被忽視的理論，因為

actually reducing traffic is far from simple. Highway expansion has gone hand in hand with

其實減少交通量遠非如此簡單。高速公路的擴建與

the suburbanization of American cities like Houston. It becomes a self-fulfilling recipe

休斯頓等美國城市的郊區化。它成為一個自我實現的配方

for urban sprawl: a highway gets built to connect suburbs to a city center, which encourages

為城市的擴張：修建一條高速公路，將郊區與市中心連接起來，從而鼓勵了

more development along it, which necessitates even more highways when those get congested

擁擠的時候，就需要更多的公路。

— and on and on and on. The instinct to widen

- 並不斷的擴大。擴大的本能

highways to relieve traffic makes sense—but there's a reason it doesn't work: due

緩解交通的高速公路是有意義的，但有一個原因，它不工作：由於。

to a concept called “induced demand.” These represent 3 highway lanes. And these

到一個叫做 "誘導需求 "的概念。這些代表了3條高速公路的車道。而這些

balls are the commuters that drive on them. These particular commuters — the red ones

蛋蛋是在上面行駛的乘客。這些特殊的乘客--紅色的

— will sit in traffic no matter how bad it gets, because they have to. Driving to

- 無論情況有多糟糕，都會坐在車流中，因為他們必須這樣做。開車去

work on the highway is their only option. Let's say this is what congestion looks

在高速公路上工作是他們唯一的選擇。讓我們說這是什麼擁堵的樣子。

like, during peak rush hours. Once a certain number of cars get on the highway, traffic

像，在高峰期的高峰期。一旦有一定數量的汽車上了高速公路，交通

slows to a crawl. Now let's add a new lane. These drivers now have more room to spread

緩慢的爬行。現在讓我們增加一條新的車道。這些司機現在有更多的空間來傳播

out — which should make traffic flow better. That might happen at first, but it doesn't

出--這應該會使交通流變得更好。一開始可能會出現這種情況，但它不會

stay that way. That's because there's another set of

保持這樣的狀態。那是因為有另一套的原因

people who will take the highway under the right conditions — even though they have

人們會在適當的條件下走高速公路--即使他們有。

other commuting options. When a highway is congested, they might take

其他通勤選擇。當高速路擁堵時，他們可能會採取以下措施

local roads instead. Or be able to drive during off-peak hours. They might use other modes

在地道路代替。或者能夠在非高峰期開車。他們可能會使用其他方式

of transportation, like public transit or biking.

的交通工具，如公共交通或自行車。

Or maybe they can work from home that day and skip the commute altogether. In a few

或者他們當天可以在家工作，完全跳過通勤時間。在一些

years, these people will start taking the highway, enticed by less congestion. This

年，這些人將在減少擁堵的誘惑下，開始走高速路。這

is induced demand at play: the more supply there is, the more demand will follow, to

是誘導需求在起作用：供給越多，需求就會越多，以。

exhaustion. And in this case, the supply is highway lanes. And sometimes, like on the

疲憊不堪。而在這種情況下，供給的是高速公路車道。而有時，像在

Katy freeway, congestion gets even worse after a highway expansion, until some of those people

凱蒂高速公路，高速公路擴建後，擁堵情況會更加嚴重，直到有些人

with more options go back to their old ways. But in the end, you're still left with more

有了更多的選擇就會重走老路。但到最後，你還是會剩下更多的。

drivers, and congestion that's at least as bad as it was before. When our transportation

司機，以及至少和以前一樣嚴重的擁堵。當我們的交通

system is so reliant on highways and private automobiles, there's almost no way around

體系對公路和私家車的依賴性太強了，幾乎沒有任何辦法。

it because that's the system that we've created. This is Kyle Shelton, an urbanist based in

因為這就是我們創造的系統。這是凱爾-謝爾頓，一個城市學家，位於

Houston. The endless reduction of congestion… should that be...the driving, honestly the

休斯頓。無休止地減少擁堵......應該是......開車的人，說實話。

driving policy question for a lot of our transportation funding? Big expensive highway infrastructure

驅動政策問題，我們的很多交通資金？大的昂貴的高速公路基礎設施

projects are still the prevailing band-aid to congestion in the US. The transit advocacy

項目仍然是美國解決交通擁堵的主流Ok繃。交通倡導

group Transportation for America found that between 1993 and 2017, the US added over 30,000

團體 "美國交通 "發現，1993年至2017年，美國增加了超過3萬個。

miles of new freeway lanes in 100 metro areas. Building more highways may provide some short-term

100個大都會區新建高速公路車道的里程。建設更多的高速公路可能會提供一些短期的

relief. And it's easier than most infrastructure projects to get federal funding to do a highway

緩解。而且比大多數基礎設施項目更容易獲得聯邦資金，做一條高速公路。

expansion. But if we want less traffic and fewer drivers, giving flexible commuters better

擴張。但是，如果我們想減少交通和司機，給靈活的通勤者更好的服務。

choices is a good place to start. Like by improving public transit by adding more and

選擇是一個好的開始。比如改善公共交通，增加更多和

better bus routes or trains. That alone might not be a silver bullet for congestion relief,

更好的公交線路或火車。單單是這一點，可能並不是緩解擁堵的靈丹妙藥。

for the same reason that adding another lane isn't: new drivers will take the place of

同樣的原因，增加另一條車道不是：新的司機將取代

transit commuters on the highway. And for many people living off highways in sprawling

高速公路上的過境通勤者。而對於很多生活在高速公路外的人來說，在龐大的

US cities, public transit may never be an adequate solution.

美國的城市，公共交通可能永遠不是一個充分的解決方案。

'Cause it's not just about the infrastructure. It's also about individual behaviors. It's

因為這不僅僅是基礎設施的問題。它也是關於個人行為。它是

about where job opportunities are located. And most of our cities have now been constructed

關於工作機會的位置。而我們的大部分城市現在已經建成了

in this way where the car is the prime mode. Another option is to enact policies that actively

在這種以汽車為主要模式的情況下。另一種選擇是頒佈政策，積極

disincentivize people from using the highway. Like congestion pricing, which charges people

抑制人們使用高速公路。就像擁堵收費一樣，向人們收取

who drive on highways during rush hours. Or remote work programs that deter people from

誰在高峰時段在高速公路上開車。或遠程工作計劃，阻止人們從

traveling during the highest traffic times — or make it so they don't have to commute

在交通最繁忙的時候出行--或者讓他們不必在交通高峰期上下班。

at all. And in the long-term, better land use policies can help as well, like by building

根本不可能。而從長遠來看，更好的土地使用政策也能起到幫助作用，比如通過建設。

communities that put people closer to where they need to go. And if building more highways

社區，使人們更接近他們需要去的地方。如果修建更多的高速公路

results in more drivers and congestion, then removing them could have the opposite effect.

導致更多的司機和擁堵，那麼取消它們可能會產生相反的效果。

For example, the city of Boston removed a freeway in its city center in the 1990s, and

例如，波士頓市在20世紀90年代拆除了市中心的一條高速公路，並。

replaced it with a boulevard with biking and bus lanes and more space to walk. It reduced

取而代之的是一條有自行車和公車道的林蔭道，有更多的步行空間。它減少了

congestion by 62%. And now the Democratically controlled Senate is considering nearly $10

擁堵的62%。而現在，民主黨控制的參議院正在考慮近10美元的。

billion in funding for similar highway-removal projects in other cities. What we build and

億的資金用於其他城市類似的高速公路拆除項目。我們的建設和

invest in in the world of transportation truly changes our behavior.

在交通領域的投資真正改變了我們的行為。

If building more roads makes us drive on them more. Then giving people better choices by

如果修建更多的道路能讓我們更多的開車上路。那麼通過以下方式給人們更好的選擇

investing in the right things, will make us drive less. Because, if we build it, they

在正確的事情上投資，會讓我們少開車。因為，如果我們建立它，他們

will come.

會來的。