Reducing Traffic in Urban Areas Ask people about the most…
Reducing Traffic in Urban Areas Ask people about the most unpleasant part of their day. A lot of them will say it is their commute—the time they spend in traffic going to and from work. A recent study of traffic in the United States estimated that the average American spends 42 hours a year in traffic jams. However, compared with people in other countries, Americans are probably lucky; in a 2018 survey of cities around the world with the longest commutes, the United States is only mentioned once. Four of the longest commutes are in Brazil. That is no surprise to people in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, who suffer through long commutes every day. Although on some days the problem of long commutes seems impossible to solve, we can and must use both technological and economic strategies to tackle it. Heavy traffic in major cities is more than just a headache. These long commutes are so stressful that they can actually affect your health, according to a recent study. They can also result in significant economic losses. One study of Manila estimated the loss at 43 million dollars a day. An estimate for annual losses due to traffic in the United States is 124 billion dollars. Part of those losses are a result of all the time that is wasted sitting in traffic. Wasted fuel also contributes to these losses, as well as to the increasing pollution in large urban areas. Technology offers many possible ways to decrease traffic jams in cities, although unfortunately, some technological solutions are probably far in the future. Researchers hope that one day soon, cars will be able to communicate with other cars. Cars will be able to keep track of the speed of the cars around them and automatically regulate their own speed. Another possibility is for cars to communicate with traffic lights. Have you ever waited at a red light despite the fact that there were no cars coming in the other direction? It is a very frustrating experience. If the traffic light could sense the presence—or absence—of cars, this would not happen. One high-tech solution that is already in use is the use of real-time traffic information to direct drivers away from traffic jams to better, less crowded routes. A second possibility is to persuade drivers to change their behavior. The most direct way to do that is through their wallets! For example, some cities, such as London and Singapore, charge a fee to drive into the central business district during busy times of the day. Other cities, including Bogotá, Mexico City, and Santiago, have alternate day driving plans. In other words, some people are only permitted to drive their cars into the city on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while others may only drive into the city on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. A final economic strategy is to remove all the parking lanes downtown. This creates more space for traffic and also pushes up the cost of parking garages. The goal of this approach is to encourage people to leave their cars at home and use public transportation instead. None of these approaches is perfect. A complete technological solution is years away, and economic approaches may not discourage wealthy people from using their cars. However, it is crucial that we use all of our resources to resolve this growing problem. Some cities, including Madrid, Hamburg, Brussels, and Chengdu have proposed going car-free, in at least some neighborhoods. Perhaps one day, more cities will follow their example and urban traffic jams will become just a memory. Name three reasons why the problem of long commutes is important.
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