You’re sitting at a red light that seems to last forever.
It might only be 30 seconds, but the 50 cars in front of you have to first get rolling once the green flashes. You watch in utter agony as the procession chugs to life, each driver taking an extra second to react to the driver in front pulling away. It’s like watching a game of motorized dominos. Just as it’s your turn to make it through the intersection, the light turns red again.
Funny thing is, however, this time there’s no other traffic. Now you’re just sitting there burning gasoline, time and patience for no real reason other than the fact the very expensive stoplight is completely oblivious – or indifferent – to the traffic situation.
It’s frustrating and wasteful enough, made worse by the fact that it’s likely not the last time it’s going to happen to you in the next 10 minutes.
Our cities were formed well before the automobile, based on gridded streets. As cars came on stream, it likely made sense to erect traffic-control signs to curb the chaos of people on horses, riding bicycles, steering ox carts and driving cars all heading in different directions through the same intersections.
A commute through downtown Los Angeles or in Manhattan (yes, I’ve done both) is enough to wear anyone’s patience thin for the simple fact that it might take you an hour or two to travel a very short distance.
Congestion is everywhere.
You can blame traffic-control systems and standard four-corner intersections for a lot of it, and for whatever reason, the fact that we all need to go to work and head home at exactly the same time as each other. You know that giant gap between the city and highway fuel-economy ratings of your vehicle? These two factors are why it exists.
Most intersections with traffic lights are inefficient, yes, but four-way stops – when no one else is at them but you – could very well be the most outdated and inefficient form of road control there is. At a typical four-corner road junction, stop signs are an absolute necessity, however, because many drivers are generally complacent by nature – and are poor judges of distance and speed – they routinely drive through unmarked intersections without even looking.
You disagree? Look how many people run red lights – intersections with controls – every day, causing crashes.
A recent trip to Italy brought to light just how efficient traveling in a circle can really be.
The idea is simple. Instead of a four-corner intersection with traffic lights and stop signs, there’s a traffic loop you merge into.
It’s fine and dandy that our cars are becoming more efficient – even electric – but there are big gains to be made in looking at all aspects of the drive, even if it means driving in circles.
