Miami: A Commuter’s Nightmare
Several surveys have shown the city of Miami to be one of the least preferable cities in which to drive. Every morning there is an exodus of Biblical proportions, as thousands or cars tightly pack into highways six lanes wide. More discouraging about driving in Miami is the mind-numbingly slow pace with which traffic moves. Moreover, bumper-to-bumper traffic causes many minimal damage accidents that ironically have larger, more negative, effects on traffic congestion than they actually should. Other factors such as construction and aggressive drivers create more hazardous conditions for commuters. The roads and highways of Miami are a world of danger that creates the unpleasant experience it is to drive in Miami.
The most noticeable inconvenience of driving in Miami is traffic congestion. In fact, because the highways are cluttered with a significant amount of vehicles carpooling is encouraged. For this purpose, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were formed. Each weekday, a simple twenty-minute drive turns into an eternal wait for forward progress. With each minute that goes by cars advance less than twenty feet. And while the traffic may open up in some areas, in its entirety I-95 remains congested during the morning and evening hours, as seen in the image where cars on the South Florida Highways line up bumper-to-bumper. The cause for such highway clutter varies, but it is interesting to note the difficulty in explaining highway driving conditions. It is uncertain as to whether the accidents cause traffic congestion or the traffic congestion causes accidents. Either way, the main roads and highways commuters take to work are crowded with drivers. Furthermore, I-95 passes through several commercial districts in the lower Miami area. Many large trucks and commercial vehicles, as well as passenger vehicles, drive to work at these commercial areas. The weekday traffic congestions on the Miami roadways are, in large part, a major inconvenience to commuters, all with intent to arrive early to work.
Car accidents pose as the second most noticeable inconvenience for commuters in Miami. In many occasions traffic accidents cause a hold-up of traffic. Take for example, the oil taker explosion on I-95 on November 6, 2006. A massive tanker truck, carrying loads of fuel, flipped over the highway over pass and onto NW 135 Street, a street that runs through one of the busiest commercial areas. The accident occurred on a Monday morning, while the rest of Miami was commuting to work.
In the passage, “Driving while stupid”, Dave Berry makes the argument that Miami drivers are the worst drivers in the world. He talks about these radical drivers from all around the world; from drivers that are always passing each other, never looking at the road and doing something else, people who drive with their headlights off all the time, to drivers that think that the can just push through all of the traffic in their way. Dave Berry uses very unconventional ways to make his argument, such as humor and hyperboles.
To any one wondering what it’s like to live in Miami, the simple answer would have to be marvelous. Needless to say, it’s impossible to describe what it’s like to live in such an eminent city with just one word. Miami is famous for its beautiful beaches and its Art Deco architecture but most importantly it considered the melting pot of the United States. Living in such a diverse and illustrious city certainly has its perks. The atmosphere is vibrant. The weather is wonderful year round. The city is alive while the suburbs are roaring and growing.
In his article,“Driving While Stupid”, David Barry expresses his opinions toward the drivers in Miami, and in different countries as well. Even though he has met bad drivers throughout his life, he strongly believed that Miami drivers are the worst drivers because of the way the drive. David Barry describes all the bad drivers he has seen to prove his point that drivers in Miami are still the worst drivers.
injuries and fatalities” (PHGR). “One of the cardinal features of sprawl is driving, reflecting a
Ever since the invention of the automobile, numerous efforts have been employed to try and improve its safety features. Judging by the current statistics, one could argue that driving has so far turned out to be a risky business. In actual fact, people of all ages and social status are considered to be in control of lethal weapons whenever they have to drive. According to the National Safety Council, it is estimated that more than 41,000 people lose their lives in road accidents annually and no less than 2 million more suffer from serious life threatening injuries (2009). Furthermore, it is estimated that at least 50% of the people killed in road accidents is as a result of their failure to adhere to safety measures such as wearing seatbelts while driving, driving under the influence, or careless driving (Ingalls, “Defensive Driving Strategies”). As an effect, huge losses occur with respect to life, injuries sustained, and damage to property.
San Diego is home to many hardworking individuals who diligently work during the week and long for their days off to visit the many attractions the city has to offer. Whether it is heading to work or going to Balboa Park for a family outing, San Diegans are conscious that MTS is there to ensure they arrive to their destination in a convenient and timely manner. Being California’s second largest city, San Diego is vulnerable to frustrating traffic during rush hours, yet people are slowly recognizing MTS’s efforts to alleviate this issue and ensure that not only arrive to their destination on time, but do so efficiently; cost is not an issue and the routes are well-planned in effort to avoid traffic. People often think badly of public transportation; MTS has become an exception since it has been invested in creating a positive experience for both San Diegans who use the transportation system on a daily basis or those who ride a single bus once.
Traffic is a major problem in Hawaii. Traffic can cause many problems including making travel difficult, creating health problems, wasting resources, and reducing the quality of life. On average, people waste a month of their life on the road in traffic, and Hawaii was ranked third in the nation for worst traffic.
In today's day and age, an increasing urgency must be put on the issue of transportation and its relation to society. Man owes it to himself to address the issue of transportation with practicality and, as one of the biggest polluters, ultimate discretion. One of the most practical and responsible forms of transportation available today is mass transit. However, a problem is present in American society in that mass transit is not as plentiful as it should be. Societies' across the globe are embracing mass transit much more quickly than Americans are. This problem can be remedied through proper education of the benefits of mass transit. Mass transit is the ideal future of travel for several reasons. Of note: “mass transit costs less to the community, needs less urban space, is less energy-intensive, pollutes less, is the safest mode, improves accessibility to jobs, and offers mobility for all” (1). Mass transit is also a highly flexible mode of transportation, with many different methods of travel available. Of note for these: metros, buses, carpooling, light rail, and waterborne transports. Proponents of mass transit claim it will find solutions to problems concerning the economy, the environment, and the energy crisis, as well as improving overall quality of life (2). Each of these ideas will be examined more in-depth.
With the introduction of the automobile in the early 1900s, laws have been instituted to protect drivers on the road. With these laws come lawbreakers who put their agenda in front of the well being of others. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost. billions of dollars have been spent, and pollution has grown exponentially because of this. drivers travelling at high speeds on roads (Hartman).
Today’s society appears to be constantly on the go. People seem to be pulled in multiple directions at once. Individuals never appear to have enough time to complete tasks that continually accumulate. It can be difficult to criticize someone that tries to make the most out every minute. Unfortunately, some of today’s drivers show a lack of judgment and trying to perform other tasks, while behind the wheel. People may feel this is best use time while getting to a destination. Occasionally, the small amount of time that people are trying to gain results in a time consuming accident. With modern conveniences that are geared toward an on the go public, individuals appear to be too preoccupied to driving safely.
Traffic reduction stems primarily from a decision to drive (Engwight,1992), a
Automobile traffic jams have always been a problem. From the past decade until today, the amount of people driving has increased tremendously, therefore crowding the highways particularly in major cities. Since Atlanta is one of US's most important cities, it is not an exception to the case. Along the next paragraphs I will discuss problems concerning specifically Ga. 400 highway, which I believe is the worst in Atlanta when it comes to automobile traffic.
She writes that while the number of car owners in T.O. continue to increase, the streets themselves are not keeping up with the appropriate expansion. “Toronto drivers spend roughly two work weeks per year stuck in traffic on the city's congested streets and highways,” writes Yuen. Interviewing CFRB's traffic reporter, Guy Valentine, Yuen notes that in 15 years, not much has changed on Toronto's gridlocked roads. (Toronto Traffic A Night mare For Commuters, 2009, Synergy Merchant Services Blog) b) “Toronto drivers have to inch their way through to accommodate all the usual charity walks, runs, marathons and bike-a-thons, plus major road repairs to the Lake Shore and Gardiner, gearing up for the 2015 Pan Am Games.” (Who’s in charge of our traffic chaos” 2014Toronto Star) c) John Tory, the new mayor of Toronto, has promised SmartTrack plan to reduce the pressure of Toronto traffic.
Every year, thousands of people are injured or killed in car wrecks caused by road rage/ aggressive driving. Despite this fact many people still are impatient and become angry on the road. Driving is a curious display of public and private acts. A car isolates the driver from the world. The personal sensation of power over a couple thousand pound car is intoxicating. Road rage/aggressive driving starts from things such as illegal or improper lane changes, failing to yield the right of way, and excessive speeding just to name a few. Everyday we deal with this type of driving. Everyone runs a great risk just driving around the corner to the local convenience store or just to the local church. According to U.S. News and World Report, the United States Department of Transportation estimates that two-thirds of fatalities are at least partially caused by road rage/ aggressive driving. This essay will look at some of the arguments for and against road rage/aggressive driving.
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers” -Dave Barry, comedian. The number of accidents over the last ten years have drastically increased, drivers are paying less attention to the road itself. Many individuals behind the wheel of a car believe that their driving does not affect the road conditions, however it always will. The driving habits of today are catastrophic due to the reasoning that the driving will affect other lives through reckless or distracted driving, and disobeying traffic laws.