I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...
... after spending the afternoon running errands across the greater Chicagoland area, there's got to be a better solution to our high volume traffic snafus. Admittedly, I take a pretty zen approach (listen to some good music, choose a pacer car up ahead to make sure I don't go crazy switching from lane to lane to lane, drive defensively and not offensively), but with darkness falling so early this time of year, I shouldn't feel like the majority of my day was spent in my car.
I like my car and I have to go long distances to escape the extra taxes in the city on my petrol and plastic water bottles, so I can't jump on the public transportation bandwagon, but I'm hoping that I can convince you and yours to do so to have fewer cars blocking my path. [Before anyone says anything, I know that there's many things wrong with that POV. I'm spending extra time and money to avoid the disincentives that are supposed to control my consumptive behavior -- plus I'm selfishly trying to manipulate the greater good. But at least I'm self-aware enough to know my foibles.]
If we have to look elsewhere for innovation, so be it. For instance, China has announced plans for a subway/bus mash up that drives above the lanes of traffic (see pics below)! And Mexico City built a double-decker highway 10 stories tall earlier this decade! Schwarzenegger had similar plans for CA this year! Of course, none of those locations have to worry about earthquakes or anything, right, so such monstrosities should be just fine. [ :') ]
[Not to go off on a tangent, but is that which is bracketed at the end of the above paragraph an emoticon for tongue in cheek? That's what I was going for. It looks a little more man-with-half-a-mustache instead.]
After all that, what's my plan for traffic reduction? It's simple. You need to stay home when I'm running errands. Thanks in advance for seeing things my way. Plus -- you're helping to save my environment. And that's honorable.
LOOK AT THE PIC, AND THEN TELL ME YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IT RACE THE CARS:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20012633-48.html
YOU CAN ADD TO THE SMOG WHILE DRIVING ABOVE THE SMOG!:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/images/030701overpass.jpg&imgrefurl=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20030630-2307-mexico-overpasspolitics.html&usg=__QgK_JJ3Kmr8306724TmvQ0CQCNU=&h=184&w=280&sz=17&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=o1Vr0I6AczI0NM:&tbnh=75&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddouble%2Bdecker%2Bhighway%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-Address%26rlz%3D1I7DKUS_en%26tbs%3Disch:1
THEY THREW A PRESS CONFERENCE, BUT EVERYONE WAS LATE B/C OF TRAFFIC:
http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/02/18/schwarzenegger-proposes-making-the-405-a-double-decker-freeway/
No comments:
Post a Comment