This article had me until the last paragraph. What the author seems to misunderstand is that automobile use is a prime example of induced demand. While increased road capacity may assuage frustration with congestion for (at most) a few years, the network time and again reaches the same congestion levels as before. The only way to relieve congestion is by breaking addiction to the car, which stems from its having become a public good.

Clever Gov. Pete Wilson. The math I figure is 2 years of 365 days is 730 days. The 66 days it took takes off a little more than 2 months, so the estimated 26 months to completion is 2 years and 2 months. Hence, minus the 2 months is the bonus time of 730 days at $200,000/day = $146,000,000 bonus. That's SAVING money?

QUOTE:
public transportation plays a relatively minor role, thanks to the area's size and car culture.

READ YOUR HISTORY!
L.A. had a magnificent public transit system, and grew up around it. That system was destroyed by the political power of General Motors after WWII.