It's time to address Austin's terrible traffic problems

Everyone has been talking about how bad Austin traffic has become. The number of cars is increasing every day. It is almost impossible to go through the I-35 highway without being delayed. The article “Time to unclog Austin’s traffic arteries” from mystatesman.com uses an interesting comparison between the human circulatory system and Austin's roads to address this current issue of heavy traffic and clogged roads. Anna Wynne and Mercedes Feris, who are the authors, work in the mobility industry. They have a good amount of knowledge and experience on Austin’s traffic throughout the years. The problem of traffic Austin is facing will lead to serious consequences in the future. It is like the blood blocked in the arteries will cause a heart attack; the clogged traffic will cause deadly accidents. The article states that there were 120 traffic fatalities in the previous year, and most of them happened on arterial roads. The traffic has an impact on the gas money and car maintenance. The article says:” Sitting on congested roadways costs the average Austin driver roughly $1,000 a year in extra gas and lost productivity”. Moreover, Austin’s lack of sidewalks is affecting the retail businesses. The authors write:” Businesses along our major streets suffer because unpleasant and unsafe walking environments depress foot traffic — the lifeblood of retail shops.” 

This article is intended to convince voters to vote for prop 1 on November 8. Prop 1 is proposed by Austin mayor Steve Adler and the Austin city council. It will put in 720 million dollars in critical improvements for the city. They state that Prop 1 will provide renovation to major corridors like North and South Lamar, Airport Boulevard, Slaughter Land and others. Moreover, safety issues on outlying roads such as Anderson Mill Road and U.S. 183, Parmer Lane, RM 620, Spicewood Springs Road and Oak Hill Parkway Bridge will also get addressed. In addition, a new signal technology system will be installed to better time the traffic lights to keep cars moving.  

            I totally agree with the authors. I take I-35 to work and to school. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to not meet any traffic in the morning on the weekend. However, the five o’clock traffic is always the same. My trip from point A to point B often gets delayed. I still think I am lucky because my workplace and school are close to home. What about people that live far away from their job or their school? I think it is a pain for them to commute every day.

Jessica Pham