Methods of Reducing Traffic Congestion

Traffic congestion problems plague cities across America.

Traffic congestion is a problem for commuters, employers and the planet. Traffic congestion causes long commuting times and allows for less time spent at home with family. Delays in reaching your destination can mean lateness and reduced productivity at work, and more time in the car means more pollution for the environment to endure.

Expanding Assets

Expanding and adding roads can immediately reduce congestion and improve traffic flow but the costs involved with grand scale projects can be prohibitive. The expenses involved in building new roadways are high and the economy on both the federal and state levels seem to make such undertakings all but impossible. According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, the creation of new roads decreases congestion while increasing overall access to businesses, shopping, recreation and family as a result of more efficient driving routes.

Existing Assets

The relatively low cost and positive job creation data associated with getting better use out of existing assets often makes it the preferred method of traffic congestion reduction. Simple steps like traffic light timing and one-way street analysis can improve traffic flow on city streets. Ensuring the proper location and amount of highway on- and off-ramps can keep backups from ever occurring. Changes to the highway system like adding High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and utilizing variable speed limits can reduce the amount of vehicles on the road and reduce bottlenecks. Bus and bike lanes on city streets keep slow vehicles out of the way of traffic and adding restrictions to major thoroughfares can greatly reduce gridlock. Large cities like New York City are constantly undertaking studies and analysis of traffic flow data to improve congestion on streets and roads.

Pay Roads

Pay roads raise valuable assets for the state or local government, which can be used for the maintenance of roads and improvement of traffic flow. Pay roads also tend to reduce the amount of commuters as car pools become a great way to reduce individual travel costs. In places like London's City Center a congestion tax has been implemented which charges a fee to each driver entering the most crowded portion of the city in hopes of reducing overall traffic. The drawback to pay roads is the cost to individual commuters who may be forced to pay more to get to and from work as a result of their implementation.

Special Circumstances

In some cases traffic congestion is caused by special circumstances like natural phenomena, vehicle accidents or road repairs. These occurrences can cause unforeseen delays and can add to existing traffic. Officials in New York State have implemented the Highway Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) program that uses roadside assistance vehicles to aid in the removal of cars disabled by accidents or breakdowns. As a general rule to avoid increased congestion, state and local governments also attempt to schedule road work projects at off-hours, and during low traffic seasons if possible. Inclement weather can be a major cause of traffic congestion. Forecast and preparation are key elements to the efficient removal of natural impediments. Programmable road signs and road information broadcast by radio are essential forms of traveler information that can give drivers insight into whats coming up and how to avoid it.

Future Development

One way to avoid traffic congestion from ever occurring in the first place is to properly design developing cities, suburbs and highways to handle the amount of traffic they will eventually generate. By laying out streets and highways in the most efficient manner, reducing bottlenecks and merges, installing storm drains and studying traffic flow patterns and anticipating what is to come, future roadways can avoid many of the traffic congestion problems drivers deal with today.

References

• U.S. Dept of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration, Focus on Congestion Relief
• U.S. Dept of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration, Traffic Congestion and Reliability
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute: Identifying and Evaluating Strategies To Reduce Traffic Congestion
• Rand Corporation: Reducing Traffic Congestion in Los Ange
• Quality Growth: Traffic Congestion
• Environmental Defense Fund: Road Pricing Makes Sense