Richard:
I live in the Santa Rita valley/Mesa Oaks>above Lompoc. I drive about 70,000 miles a every year. I work in the San Fernando Valley at least (3) days a week. The issue started back in the '60 when the Department of Road did spent the (then low dollars) money to expand the road into the future>not just the next two -three years. It took them (6) years to fix the Santa Barbara (I lived in SB) to "upgrade" the freeway. And again now the 405 is being "upgraded" for the third time in 15 years. Until someone builds a upper and lower double decker freeway the problem will go on. S. Calif can live and grow with cars, and business have been hurt by high gas prices (heavy state additional taxes); which has "helped" the traffic to be honest. But California is like New York or any other big city, people are on the move 24 hours a day/night. Speeds in S. Calif have gone up and more people are driving; I personally don't think the "lanes" have helped at all. Too few use them and the rest of us just wait. A tuff economy force many to work hander, drive>faster, and push the limit of car control and safety. But that live in LA, no in Santa Ynez which is a small little (wine region) town. You have a move "Sideways" that changed the area from a sleepy little area to tour bus city with more and more DUI check points. And for the local business it has helped, but for "the locals" the additional traffic is not a plus! Anyway, come back again and join one of the local car or motorcycle regions on a fun drive outside Los Angeles!!!
art
agrimmitt@pelican.