Research: Los Angeles has some of the worst traffic in the world. According to the Los Angeles Times, "When it comes to bad urban traffic, Los Angeles leads the world...
Los Angeles has been a U.S. symbol of bad traffic for decades, but it turns out the city’s freeways and streets are so clogged that it was also the global leader in urban congestion in 2016. That’s the finding of a new study by transportation analytics researcher INRIX, which broadened its annual traffic review to include 38 countries." The cost of being stuck in traffic, "measured in wasted time and fuel, works out to $9.7 billion for Los Angeles or $2,408 per driver, based on the study. Across the U.S., the cost of congestion is estimated at almost $300 billion." (LA Times) Now, $2400 per year is a significant amount of money to be lost for any single person, especially when that money is being burnt while sitting in traffic. That money can be in our savings, college fund, vacation fund etc. Instead it is being burnt up as we sit in an everlasting frustration. Traffic is so devastating that even Elon Musk (TESLA) is threatening to start building tunnels in order to avoid the headaches.
Traffic is not only frustrating, but it is dangerous. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, traffic fatalities have been steadily increasing since 2009. Traffic fatalities increased 2.4 percent from 3,102 in
2014 to 3,176 in 2015. Teen driver fatalities (age 16-19) increased 2.2 percent
from 92 in 2014 to 94 in 2015. Males make up 79 percent
of teen driver fatalities. Pedestrian fatalities increased 4.7 percent from 709 in
2014 to 742 in 2015. These statistics show the increase in traffic deaths. These deaths have not been declining and there should be some action in order to reduce these death rates and change the trend. There are more drivers on the road every year which may be perpetuating this problem. Perhaps an improved public transportation system would encourage more people to try that alternative rather than drive. An attractive alternative that is convenient and efficient will surely lure many people to it and reduce traffic congestion.
Personal:The issue of traffic congestion and lack of efficient public transportation has left me extremely frustrated. The amount of traffic in Los Angeles is dangerous. I began noticing this problem when I began driving back in 2011. This issue has not improved. I, like many people in Los Angeles, have a job and I need to drive in order to get to that job because it is 20 miles away. Now, normally this would not be a big issue. Without traffic, my vehicle commute is about 28 - 30 minutes. So an hour round trip. Unfortunately, that is in ideal conditions. In Los Angeles, there is no such thing as ideal conditions when it comes to traffic... I go in to work at 1 pm and my commute takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. By the time I arrive to work, I am extremely frustrated and exhausted. Then, I’m off at 9 pm only to look forward to traffic again, this time for 1 hour or sometimes 50 minutes, yay. Would I be more productive and relaxed at my job if my commute was not so long, stressful and uncomfortable? Maybe. Not to mention that during my long commute I typically witness about 3-4 car accidents a day. I narrowly avert many accidents daily as well, this really adds to my stress. So I decided to check alternatives to my hellish commute. I looked up public transportation. The metro suggests I take 2 buses to the train station, the train drops me off in some random part of Hollywood, then I board another train, then I board 2 more buses and voila, I have arrived at my job in a measly 2 hours... no thanks. My friends recommended that I check Uber or other ridesharing services so that I wouldnt have to drive. So I checked, and great, only $30 a day to get to work. A bargain. So, why has Los Angeles failed to provide its residents with decent public transportation? Would Los Angeles be a better place? I think so. Traffic reduces my willingness to travel and hang out with my friends or go out to different parts of town, the frustration and fear that traffic brings to me and many others is something that I choose not to deal with most of the time. I love driving and I love cars and sports cars but the traffic in Los Angeles makes owning a sports car feel like wasted money. People drive too crazy in highly congested traffic and I understand that people get frustrated, but the crazy driving leads to accidents and even deaths. Insurance rates are sky high in California because of how many drivers are on the road, and because of this, many are uninsured. It is simple statistics and probability, out of 5 million drivers there are many that are bound to be uninsured, not have a license, and be involved in an accident. The more drivers that there are in an area, the higher the chance that an accident will occur.
This is a social problem because it is negatively affecting thousands, maybe millions of people's lives and is a burden to most residents in Los Angeles. On the east coast, where public transportation has been greatly developed, people can rely on affordable public transportation to get them where they need to go safely and within a reasonable time.
Community:
Eduardo Ramos:
"Traffic in LA is becoming unbearable. It's literally making my hair fall off even faster. Something needs to be done to address the problem or else I will definitely be thinking of moving away."
Aaron Wallen:
"Traffic in LA is horrible. The traffic in LA adds to the already stressful life of living in a congested city. After working a full 8 hour shift, traffic is another downside of my day that I am not looking forward to. On a broader spectrum traffic also affects the environment. The amount of smog that emits from the cars clouds LA basin which also affects our health."
Estefany Zepeda:
"Traffic makes me angry. Whenever I take the 5 freeway I want to pull my hair out! I wish we had better public transportation system. Having this many cars on the road is dangerous."
References:
-Brown, Edmund G, et al. “California's Annual Report (2016).” Ots.ca.gov, 1 Jan. 2017, www.ots.ca.gov/Media_and_Research/Publications_and_Reports/hsp16/2016_Annual_Report.pdf
-Lopez, Steve. “There's Only One Fix for L.A.'s Traffic Nightmare - We All Have to Pay Up.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2018, www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lopez-transit-driving-20180203-story.html.
-Ohnsman, Alan. “When It Comes To Bad Urban Traffic, Los Angeles Leads The World.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 Feb. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2017/02/20/when-it-comes-to-bad-urban-traffic-los-angeles-leads-the-world/.
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