"A RAND Inftrastructure, Safety, and Environment Program."

"RAND Transportation, Space, and Technology."

Full report on CD-ROM.

Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction -- A Primer on Congestion -- Characterizing Congestion in Los Angeles -- Diagnosing Congestion in Los Angeles -- Short-Term Congestion-Reduction Options -- Short-Term Congestion-Reduction Recommendations -- Consensus-Building Recommendations -- Final Thoughts -- Appendix A: Strategy-Rating Overview -- Appendix B1: Freeway-Ramp Metering -- Appendix B2: Signal Timing and Control -- Appendix B3: High-Occupancy Vehicle-Lane Strategies -- Appendix B4: Park-and-Ride Facilities -- Appendix B5: Officers at Intersections -- Appendix B6: Left-Turn Signals -- Appendix B7: Curb-Parking Restrictions -- Appendix B8: One-Way Streets -- Appendix B9: Rush-Hour Construction Bans -- Appendix B10: Incident-Management Systems -- Appendix B11: Ride-Sharing -- Appendix B12: Telecommuting -- Appendix B13: Flexible Work Hours -- Appendix B14: Car Sharing -- Appendix B15: Traveler-Information Systems -- Appendix B16: Mandatory Transportation Demand Management Programs -- Appendix B17: Driving Restrictions -- Appendix B18: High-Occupancy Toll Lanes -- Appendix B19: Cordon Congestion Tolls -- Appendix B20: Variable Curb-Parking Rates -- Appendix B21: Parking Cash-Out -- Appendix B22: Local Fuel Taxes -- Appendix B23: Variable Transit Fares -- Appendix B24: Deep-Discount Transit Passes -- Appendix B25: Bus Rapid Transit -- Appendix B26: Bus-Route Reconfiguration -- Appendix B27: Pedestrian Strategies -- Appendix B28: Bicycling Strategies -- Appendix C: Institutional Roles in Transportation Planning and Policy -- Appendix D: Theoretical Insights on Political Consensus Building.

The Los Angeles area has the most severe traffic congestion in the United States. Trends in many of the underlying causal factors suggest that congestion will continue to worsen in the coming years, absent significant policy intervention. Excessive traffic congestion detracts from quality of life, is economically wasteful and environmentally damaging, and exacerbates social-justice concerns. Finding efficient and equitable strategies for mitigating congestion will therefore serve many social goals. The authors recommend strategies for reducing congestion in Los Angeles County that could be implemented and produce significant improvements within about five years. To manage peak-hour auto travel, raise transportation revenue, improve alternative transportation options, and use existing capacity more efficiently, they recommend 10 primary strategies: improve signal control and timing; restrict curb parking on busy thoroughfares; implement paired one-way streets; promote ride-sharing, telecommuting, and flexible work schedules; develop a high-occupancy toll-lane network; vary curb-parking rates with demand, enforce the current parking cash-out law; promote deep-discount transit passes; expand bus rapid transit and bus-only lanes; and implement a regionally connected bicycle network. In addition, three recommendations may help, depending on the outcome of current events: evaluate arterial incident management, consider cordon congestion tolls, and levy local fuel taxes to raise transit revenue. Given that some of the recommendations may prove controversial, the authors also outline complementary strategies for building political consensus.

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