Wednesday, 3 December 2014

New York Traffic Conditions Are Now Among The Worst In The USA

By Etta Bowen


Advancements in science and modern technology has enabled mankind to live longer and healthier. We can design faster and smarter transport modes. We build ultra-modern cities. The downfall is that the systems we build cannot accommodate all the people they are supposed to serve. We are over-crowding the planet, our roads and our cities and killing nature in order to accommodate an ever-growing population with ever-increasing needs. New York traffic conditions are now among the worst in the USA.

This dubious achievement does not come as a shock. Americans have felt the impact of an ever-increasing number of vehicles on the roads on various levels during the past decade - on their pockets, stress-levels and time management. Routes to work and back that used to take them a mere 20 minutes, now take almost an hour.

Road pricing in the form of tolls has thus far only managed to increase the blood pressure and stress levels of commuters without any noticeable improvement of the underlying problem. Paying toll money to buy less combusted roads has only affected their wallets and caused commuters to take detours in order to avoid the tolls - causing even more frustration and time wastage.

Another factor to consider is the health implications that this daily stress and frustrations have on commuters' physical, emotional and psychological well-being. The most common modern illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart attacks are all mostly stress-related. Being stuck in a car for hours also robs one of valuable exercising time and further contributes to an already obese, physically unfit society.

Knowing the problem is one thing, but solving it seems to be a horse of a different color. We cannot all commute by public transport or ride a bicycle to work. The vast distances and varied destinations to which city workers have to travel daily make public transport an inadequate solution - especially in huge metropolitan cities such as New York.

Commuters shooting or attacking one another with baseball bats or whatever weapon they can lay their hands on over the slightest incident or perceived insult are as common as sport results in daily newspapers and TV broadcasts. And yet, the more affluent a city becomes economically, the bigger the traffic problems that ensue as more people flock to the city and can afford to buy cars.

There are, however, various pro's and cons to any tolling system. The fairness of the tariffs for specific demographic groups and vehicles, as well as the way in which the revenue will be spent, are some of the most crucial issues to consider. Especially in New York, commuters will be skeptical and unwilling to accept another tolling system so soon after the spectacular collapse of a previous one.

The fact that such anti-congestion tolling systems have proven to work in some cities such as London, does not necessarily mean it will be equally successful in other cities. Any campaign aimed at raising public support for such a system will have to focus on switching public opinion where it matters, namely offering tangible advantages to the commuters.




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