The solution to traffic jams is to not leave transportation in the hands of clueless, distracted, reckless drivers. The solution is fast, reliable, ubiquitous public transit.
In fact, a real solution to this problem that could be applied in the design of our current urban landscape would be a multi-pronged effort to spread out the commuter traffic. Alternating work and school hours could widen commuting hours and distribute load across all commuter infrastructure. Increased levels of telecommuting would also contribute to this. This would be a sort of supply-side fix to commuter congestion. Local or regional governments could create incentives to encourage these changes.
the capital investment needed is pretty fantastic
The problem with personal automobiles right now is that they are dangerous, slow, expensive, and have a huge carbon impact. We can find technical solutions to all those problems without restricting everyone's freedom of movement by forcing them into public transit.
Since I drive a car, every time I go out with my wife, I have to be careful how much alcohol I consume. If I had a train or bus to take, I could drink however much I wanted.
Since I drive a car, if I want to walk around town, I have to return to my car before being able to head home. If there was public transit, I could just go to the nearest station and connect from there.
Since I drive a car, I have to pay to park if I go downtown (and hunt for a parking spot).
Since I drive a car, I have to inconvenience a friend or pay for a taxi whenever I go to the airport.
Since we drive cars, my wife and I can't meet somewhere after work unless we we're willing to have two cars.
Since I drive a car, I have to pay for gas and maintenance, and there is no good alternative if my car breaks down. A bus line can just add another bus, or reduce the number of stops. The route doesn't just shut down.