January 20, 2011 8:25AM 

# The Traffic Congestion Problem 

By [David Boaz](https://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz) 

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A [new report](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/20/AR2011012000056.html?hpid=moreheadlines) says that traffic congestion is worse, and the American Public Transportation Association urges Congress to … spend more money on public transportation.

Cato senior fellow Randal O’Toole has been challenging the received wisdom on traffic and mass transit for years. See his book *[Gridlock: Why We’re Stuck in Traffic and What to Do About It](https://www.cato.org/store/books/gridlock-why-were-stuck-traffic-what-do-about-it-hardback)*, and lots of [other studies](https://www.cato.org/people/randal-otoole). In November he debated the head of the American Public Transportation Association at a Cato Policy Forum:

##### Related Tags 

[Energy and Environment](https://www.cato.org/research/energy-environment), [Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics) 

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