Why Road Widening Fails: The Downs-Thomson Paradox

Not Just Bikes · Explainer · 6 min · 2020 · YouTube title: Do Your Buses Get Stuck in Traffic? (The Downs-Thomson Paradox)

Why it's here

HN points to it as a clear introduction to why widening roads fails and why transit-only lanes matter.

What it covers

Not Just Bikes explains the Downs-Thomson paradox using Amsterdam and Toronto: road widening doesn't fix congestion, and buses stuck in traffic make transit slow. It argues for giving transit its own priority infrastructure.