Blocking one lane of a three-lane highway can reduce traffic flow by what percentage?

Blocking one lane of a three-lane highway typically reduces traffic flow by approximately 33%. Since the question asks for a percentage reduction, blocking one lane can lead to a significant decrease in capacity, which can be interpreted as close to 50% in some traffic scenarios due to the complex interactions between vehicles, especially during peak times.

When one lane is blocked on a three-lane highway, each lane effectively has to accommodate more vehicles, leading to congestion and slower speeds. This additional challenge can compound the slowdown and may optimize closer to a 50% reduction in effective flow, especially in terms of vehicle throughput.

In contexts where traffic flow is analyzed, it's important to consider not only the lanes but also the behavior of drivers, the density of traffic, and the possibility of lane changes affecting overall travel speed and congestion dynamics. The substantial impact on traffic flow due to blocking one lane makes the association with a 50% reduction feasible under certain conditions.