That's the message contained in a Reason Foundation study that predicts gridlock on U.S. roads -- already a pounding headache -- will spread beyond big-city highways within the next quarter-century.
Lead author David Hartgen, professor of transportation at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, has bad news for drivers: Such mid-size cities as Charlotte, Tucson, and Orlando will experience congestion worse than Chicago has now; Bumper-to-bumper conditions in smaller cities (under 500,000 people) will occur more than twice as often as they do now; The news is especially bad for 13 smaller cities where road congestion is forecast to increase by more than 1,000 per cent. Sioux City, IA ranks first, though Flint, MI also faces a probable increase of more than 5,000 per cent, according to the analysis.
Also on the future-gridlock list are St.
George, UT; Albany and Columbus, GA; Lakeland, FL; Lancaster-Palmdale and Watsonville, CA; Santa Fe, NM; St. Charles, MD; Lewiston and Bangor, ME; and Lansing, MI.
The biggest metro area facing such a surge in auto traffic is Phoenix-Mesa, where the projected gridlock increase during rush hour is 1,089 per cent.
According to Hartgen, his dire predictions could be short-circuited by well-planned road construction and expansion and better traffic management, including timed traffic signals, installation of express highway toll lanes that don't require traffic to stop, and higher rush-hour tolls that encourage car-pooling or use of mass transit.
The money is available, he said, but needs to be allocated appropriately. Although the study recommends that state,city, and federal agencies spend at least $21 billion on road and transportation systems, they have already announced plans to spend much more.
Streetcars, trains, subways, and buses are viable alternatives too, said Virginia Miller of the American Public Transportation Association.
"Public transportation has a proven record of helping to reduce congestion that should not be ignored," she noted. In 2003, mass transit saved 1.
1 billion hours of travel time in 85 urban areas, according to a report from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A M University.
If you've had a bad experience with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site.
Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. .
Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.Com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised.
See the for more information. Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the for more information.
For more information, see the and . The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice. ConsumerAffairs.
Com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof.
News RSS