In Chaotic Furrballs, Kevin Meyer compares Italian traffic to lean manufacturing:
So with our [U.S.] “highly disciplined system” we have slugs (batches…) of traffic starting then stopping at the next traffic control, while in Italy it may move a little slower… but it is always moving. Very rarely did I come to a full stop. Those of us in the lean manufacturing would should immediately recognize the consequence of continual versus batch flow… steadier and higher output.