Paper Topic:

Traffic Congestion

Americans are proud of their automobiles . It is a sign of their success . Since more people want to drive to work , public transit nationwide , is usually a money-losing proposition . Traffic congestion is one of the most serious transportation problems Americans face . It is bad for drivers , bad for business , and bad for the environment . As people travel more , traffic grows , and traffic congestion becomes increasingly demanding . The reasons for this are a small amount of public transportation system , no charges for using the road , many single drivers in rush hour , and lack

of information on how to avoid the traffic jam

Los Angeles is usually seen as one of the trouble spots when it comes to traffic congestion . One researcher has an answer , as he compares Los Angeles with Melbourne , Australia . Assessing the impact of automobiles on urban development and their relationship to public transportation , he finds that both cities had low population density and attracted suburban housing development through efficient rail networks . Los Angeles however , opted for freeways and automobiles instead of modernizing and maintaining its public transportation , resulting in traffic congestion and air pollution . Melbourne , by contrast , has kept a balance between both forms of transportation . This has permitted Melbourne 's suburbs to grow without having cars dominate commuting (Frost 362

An article , by Staley puts dollars to Los Angeles traffic snarls and congestion : Traffic congestion in Los Angeles eats up at least 9 .3 billion a year in wasted time and excess fuel each year , and these numbers don 't even include the costs to businesses from freight delays (Staley 51

When I came into America , I realized that Americans own lots of cars per family . Some families have five cars in their house . That is because of the low price in maintaining their cars . Basic economic logic tells us that a jam is the result of a product available at too low a price In this case , the solution is to limit the number of cars by requiring a car owner to buy an expensive license just for the right to own a car Other methods are to raise the price for using the streets through higher toll fees or higher gasoline tax

There have been numerous attempts to increase the number of toll roads which might ease congestion . Mayor Bloomberg , of New York City , proposed a toll on automobiles coming into Manhattan beyond a certain perimeter but that was defeated . Los Angeles and San Francisco are among cities also trying to find some way to ease the congestion . Given the practical and political realities facing L .A . policymakers , a network of HOT lanes may be the only practical alternative to gridlock (Staley 51 . Hot lanes , Staley explains , are carpool lanes that allow solo drivers to use them for a fee

In the morning , most of the freeways suffer from traffic jams . The main drivers affected are single drivers . As traffic grows continually governmental efforts become increasingly exasperated . With car sharing the inconveniences associated with rail...

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