The traffic around Washington D.C, and Baltimore has gotten out of hand. Pollution, frustration, reliance on foreign oil and the accompanying wars are some of the results. Another, as reported by Capital News Service, is a huge waste of money.
According to a study by the Texas Transportation Institute, the cost of congestion in Maryland has increased by 1,200% since 1982. This results in 60 million hours and 40 million gallons of fuel wasted by sitting in traffic annually, with an associated cost of $3.1 billion.
The study blames an increase in traffic without accompanying road improvements. The suggested course of action, however, is NOT to keep expanding and attempting to increase the traffic flow, as has traditionally been the solution throughout the U.S. Seventy-four percent of Maryland’s citizens support increasing the mass transit budget and decreasing traffic, rather than continually expanding highways. Another poll conducted in June by 1000 Friends of Maryland indicates that people in the region are more concerned with traffic problems than with education or taxes.
"The big question is how much money within the Transportation Trust Fund is allocated to transit," said Johanna Neumann, of Maryland PIRG. "It’s a flawed system if it’s going to build new roads. If it’s helping to fund new transit projects, then that’s a whole other story."
We’ll see whether Marlyand has the vision to look beyond the steering wheel, or if they’ll just dump more money and resources into the automobile-money-pit that plagues the United States. The good news from this report is that at least politicians and advocacy groups are discussing alternatives, and they are exposing the shortcomings of the existing car-based model.
VIA WTOP News. Photo via Flickr by faz the persian
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I would totally agree, as a Christian Conservative Republican that leans heavily toward environmental stewardship. I’d say the environment is larger than most of our health issues because I believe if we lived in a less polluted environment we wouldn’t have as many health issues. I believe if we drove cars that didn’t spit out co2 and other nauseous gases it would cut the number of asthmatics in 1/2. Other health issues would be solved if more people commuted to work by bike. Also I’m not concerned about the disease issues because, I’m more concerned about getting hit by a car and I believe in an afterlife so death doesn’t bother me as bad as it would if I were an atheist. A lot of desiese are a result of lifestyle, Morbid Obesity (will likely lose mom to this one), Lung Cancer (lost 2 grandparents to that one, both smokers), Aids (wife lost a friend to this one, you can blame it on lifestyle). And most of the human losses that affected me personally were a result of lifestyle choices, either present or past.
For most cases its cliche but true, you reap what you sow.
Besides I don’t want to be an indigent senior that can’t go anywhere or do anything because of old age, I’d rather really live a good clean full life and die younger. As long as I live long enough to see my kids through adulthood, and I don’t widow my wife, I’ll be happy the day I die. I imagine/expect to be affected by skin cancer because of being in the sun so much riding my bike and all the sun burns I’ve received over the years. Also I expect to have heart issues because nothing satisfies my hunger after a good ride like a good, juicy steak, or BBQ with all the sides. I just love beef.