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Traffic congestion costly, taxpayers association says

Population increase = 64%, and VMT increase = 130%. What did you expect was going to happen when the mantra of our society is "It's my God-given right to drive - I'm gonna drive." We've ingrained it into our youth since before they were born. Just look at the number of 16 year olds with their own cars. Then, look at the 15 year olds with their own cars. Then, look at ever-expanding high school parking lots - free parking lots. Why aren't we teaching our kids to use public transit (school busses), or making them (or their ever-protective mommies and daddies) pay through the nose for at-school parking? Again, it's because we believe that God gave them a car and they ought to use it. So, why are we surprised when they grow up and are repulsed at the concept of using mass transit, and are willing to pay $5/gallon of gas to go where and when they want. After all, this is the most the self-serving, self-centered generation, isn't it. But they deserve it, don't they. And, we deserve what we get for making them.

City officials and the police who time the next traffic signal to turn red so that there's no flow of traffic cause a lot of traffic congestion. Traffic signals are timed to turn green from one signal to another at night when there's little traffic. During the day the signals are timed to create traffic jams. I don't respect or appreciate that city officials and the police create this traffic nightmare during the daytime. I doubt they will ever stop doing this because they don't want bad guys to get away. This makes everybody suffer. Police who have radios in their cars should be able to coordinate where the bad guy is going and catch him without making the traffic signals turn red as drivers approach them during the day.

We would not have much of a problem if the billions of dollars that drivers shell out in transportation-related taxes had first gon to build a few freeways.

It is double stupid to be giving UTA $17 billion in taxes from non transit users in the hope it can increase its share from 1.3% of all trips, as in 2003, clear up to 2.3%$ by 2030.

See the WFRC Long Range Plans for details.

WAKE UP!!! More freeways?!? Are you crazy!! The only thing creating more freeways will do is allow the idiots who drive on them to just commute farther and farther away. Start seeing what your neighborhood has to offer, or get off your lazy butt and walk somewhere!

Well, we can see you know how to emote; it is too bad there is no logic or learning to go with it.

You notice that Salt Lake was the first to get a "new" freeway with I-15 rebuild, then they got lots of TRAX lines...more to come. Next it was SR201 and I-215 rebuild. Now it is I-80 rebuild. Salt Lake is greedy and thoughtless!

Does it penetrate your mind that large parts of the valley have NO FREEWAYS AT ALL! The southwestern third of the valley has the worst congestion with further growing congestion, possibly growing from 5,500 hours a day in 2001 to 125,000 hours a day in 2030..( see thye 2004-2030 Long Range Plan at wfrc in the needs chapter)..if they don't get their fair access to some freeway capacity. The south western valley is getting shafted on transportation.

BTW... It is those "idiots" who are paying thousands of dollars in transportation taxes, taxes that are going to UTA to be burned! Meanwhile, funding for the total Mountainview corridor freeway is pushed out farther.

No doubt we need more road space to meet growth, economic as well as populace. I am also continually amazed to the opposition of many to UTA and Trax etc. With fuel scheduled to be $7.00 a gallon, I would love to have a UTA option. When I go out of state to cities that have significant public transport I am amazed at how easy it is to get around. We should have acted to increase public transport rather than holding back because of our desire for the snarl caused by one person per vehicle traffic.

Too little freeway capacity = worse fuel economy = more pollution emitted into the atomosphere.

I can see why environmental extremists are against freeways. Could it be that environmental extremists are more concerned with pushing their agenda then doing what is best for the environment based on the realities of most of us needing to drive to work?

I'm all for mass transit. I live in high density housing near a future Trax stop on purpose. However, most of us need to drive to work to support ourselves. We should do so in the most environmentally sensitive way as possible, and part of that means enough freeway capacity to eliminate traffic jams.

Extremists on both sides of issues must go.

"...the association would encourage commuters to avoid rush hour and travel during other times."

Wow! Yes, of course! Try and avoid rush hour traffic and very unpleasent congestion that it causes. What a novel idea! (he says with sarcasm dripping)

I sure hope "the association" is smart enough to not think that people are dumb enough not to have already figured this out.

Mass transit, the only mass transit we see in rural parts of the state is the hords of wasatch front campers boats and motor homes, talk about a serious waste of fuel/money just stay home so you can walk wherever you need to go as the one narrow mind said. Meanwhile I'll keep watching for the trax train as it goes through rich county.