Ep. 7 - A DOGE Alternative: "DOTE" - Department of Traffic Efficiency

Mastering the Commute: Your 6-Minute Traffic Fix

🚗 Traffic is NOT a Space Problem—It's a Behavior Problem!

Governments have spent billions expanding freeways, adding new lanes, and launching massive infrastructure projects—all in the name of reducing congestion. Yet, traffic is just as bad (or worse) in major cities. Why? Because the real problem isn’t road capacity—it’s how we drive.

In this episode of Mastering the Commute, I introduce DOTE—The Department of Traffic Efficiency (not a real agency, but one that SHOULD exist). We’ll break down why freeway expansions don’t work, how simple driving habits can make the biggest impact, and what we can do as drivers to create real change—starting today.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why adding lanes actually makes congestion worse (Houston’s 23-lane freeway proves it)
✅ The science of Induced Demand—more roads = more traffic
✅ Lessons from other countries that actually reduced congestion (Singapore, Sweden, The Netherlands)
✅ The 4 key principles of DOTE that improve traffic instantly:
✔️ Constant Speed Driving – Less braking, smoother flow
✔️ Smarter Merging – Late merging works when done right
✔️ Choosing the Right Lane – The left lane is NOT for cruising
✔️ Driving with Awareness – Plan ahead and anticipate slowdowns
✅ How a mass movement of smarter drivers could fix traffic—without a single dollar spent on new roads

🚦 What’s your biggest traffic frustration? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on social media!

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🚗 Let’s rethink the way we drive—together.

Chapters

1. Cold Intro - Government Spending and DOGE (00:00:00)

2. Introduction - The Infrastructure Illusion (00:00:48)

3. The Absurdity of Adding More Freeway Lanes (00:01:06)

4. Extreme Examples of Useless Spending (00:01:56)

5. What Works Outside of the USA (00:02:57)

6. My "DOTE" Plan: 4 Small Steps for Big Impact (00:03:53)

7. One Million Smart Drivers (00:04:51)

8. Summary: Your Contribution to Road Efficiency (00:05:14)

9. Closing and Invite for Feedback (00:05:27)

10. Episode 8 Promo: "10 and 2" is a Bad Idea (00:05:44)