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In terms of the liquid/gas metaphor: a physicist tells me car traffic may be most like fluid in non-equilibrium flow (b/c different lanes have different speeds, and there’s no tendency towards a steady state—except perhaps the no-movement of gridlock)

AKA temporary reduction in time cost

Fences and landscaping are often designed to discourage foot traffic. I think there are two reasons for this: 1. The realization that mixing cars and pedestrians is dangerous, so eliminate pedestrians. 2. The assumption that pedestrians are trouble. Juveniles, the poor etc.

True. That’s why building new roads is a waste of time.

Excellent analogy.

My view is that it is a bit of both And that you can alter the ratio by playing with transportation alternatives and other factors.

lol, Yeah the lakeshore of Toronto is a good example of traffic & roads behaving like a Gas creeping through a city anywhere you'll let it. I've noticed that about larger, old cities with constraints of landscape & water in North America where people travel long distances. New York & Jersey is 💩💩💩