Congestion, sniffling, watery eyes....Just Traffic?

Traffic, the one misery every metro commuter deals with. Well we have good news and bad news. INRIX, the most accurate and current traffic monitoring entity, has released its 2008 "scorecard" for congested cities. While the overall report, shows congestion is down, the report gives no indication that it will go away! (we were pessimistic also) The report suggest that the economy and fuel prices are the primary factors of the decline. INRIX's report also shows that commuters spent 13 less hours stuck in traffic vs. the 2007 report. The report gives the top 10, most congested cities, of 2008. (full report Here)

1. Los Angeles
2. New York
3. Chicago
4. Dallas
5. Washington
6. Houston
7. San Francisco
8. Boston
9. Seattle
10. Minneapolis

As a professional driver, I have, the unfortunate task, of navigating through 2 of the top 10 every weekday! I deal with Dallas in the a.m. and Houston in the p.m. The potential for a major delay in my schedule is near absolute. Dealing with these traffic snarls is not something you get used to, but a situation, you learn is a part of where you live and work. As responsible commuters, we must learn to keep our attitudes in check, or the ordeal could become unbearable, even harmful or fatal. Yes, traffic can be fatal. Road rage and collisions are everyday results of these traffic tie-ups. Property damage claims rise significantly during peak rush hour times, however, injury stats do not follow this trend. The national stats still show the hours between 12am & 4am to be most dangerous on the highways.

The infrastructure of our country is simply not keeping up with the traffic demands. As metro areas grow into, once rural areas, travelers are experiencing big city type conditions in once quiet
suburbs. Construction and re-engineering of the highway system is on-going and will continue to be behind the curve, as metro areas grow in population and more efficient means of public transportation still remains a struggle. If you are one the brave commuters, who must deal with this type traffic daily, be patient and courteous. We would remind you, that as we deal with our own good or bad days, we have no way of knowing for sure what the other driver is dealing with. It could be worse for us all, we could still be on buckboards and horses. How long would it take you to get home from work then?

Thanks for reading and please commute with compassion.