Monday, February 28, 2005
What can be done about traffic?
The idea of miles and miles of open road and a full tank of gas means freedom to any red blooded American. Cars give Americans the amazing ability to go anywhere and do anything. The problem is that every car owning American has this same idea of freedom and they all seem to be on the road at the same time. What freedom exists while sitting behind a dirty eighteen wheeler in a hot, sticky seat during a traffic jam? Only the choices of lighting up a cigarette, surfing the radio to find an escape in music, shuffling through various stranded papers, or making a phone call to say “I’m going to be a little late.” Everyone wants to arrive at their destinations faster, but no one wants to wait an hour before they leave while the traffic clears. The plague of traffic infects every city in America, and it’s time to find a cure. Besides making one late for an appointment, traffic jams pose major problems for businesses, governments and families, steps must be taken to insure the problem gets better. Some of the ways traffic can be alleviated include the increased use of technology, staggering operating schedules for major institutions, and helping individuals understand that they must change their habits in order to solve the problem.