Compared to some of the other Chinese cities I've seen (OK, the two other Chinese cities I've seen, Beijing and Guangzhou), city planners seem to have done a reasonably good job with traffic planning. There is plenty of clearance for the elevated freeways, and signage is really pretty good.
It's not their fault that traffic has exploded. People regularly double or triple the "no traffic" time when figuring how long it takes to get someplace. Don't even try to get a taxi to take you from Pudong (the new part of town) to Puxi during rush hour. Half to three quarters of the taxis will flat out refuse.
The drivers remind me of rabid Bostonians: very aggressive, but since there's so much traffic, it seems that there is little real danger. If you can get yourself into the intersection, you're good. If you can push your nose into a lane, you can take it. If no-one is parked in the parking lane, well, hey, there's another lane for you.
Mix in motorscooters, bicycles, and pedestrians, and it makes for a very non-Berkeley kind of traffic experience. You really have to keep your eyes open. Pedestrians have no right of way, or, none that is respected. Right turn on red after stop? Sure, and skip the stop! Zebra crossings really are a way to concentrate pedestrians so it's harder to ignore them. There are "traffic assistants" at busy intersections, but they're there mostly to prevent pedestrians from doing the same thing as the cars: pushing into the street and laying claim. Too many fatalities, I expect.
Like I said, reminds me of Boston....
