...A lot of people and policymakers genuinely believe that expanding highways and roads will ease frustrating congestion issues in their area.

But that’s not necessarily the case, Zipper said, citing the theory of induced demand, which explains why adding more car lanes tends to increase, rather than decrease, traffic by incentivizing more people to drive.

As some countries spurn cars, the U.S. continues to embrace highways

Highway Boondoggles