When I read the headline "Cities afraid of death by congestion" in today's USA Today, I feared another anti-auto article.

The article does contain a quote from a representative of the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, which reporter Larry Copeland describes as promoting "alternatives to people driving by themselves."

And the problem with driving solo is what, exactly? Nothing that a little use of tolling and congestion pricing wouldn't fix.

In any case, Copeland mentions several road projects underway, including some in Phoenix and Atlanta. Building roads is an expensive task, but it beats the alternative. Says one Georgia business executive: "There's no question that traffic is a major factor for a business that's contemplating moving to Atlanta." He adds "says. "We have great momentum, a great communications infrastructure, the second-highest number of college-educated residents in the country. But when someone comes here and they're sitting in traffic, they don't see that. We've got to deal with this if we're going to stay competitive."

Far too often, leaders look not to making it easier for people to get around in their cars, but to shoehorn them into less flexible transit systems. But the cost of such systems can reach absurd points, as the Washington Policy Council says. Commenting on a plan for the Seattle area, Michael Ennis says "Sound Transit is planning to spend a combined $35.2 billion to move 351,000 people a day. It would be cheaper to pay the same people $100,000 each to stay home."