By Paul Basha, traffic engineer, Summit Land Management
None of us are driving nearly as much as we recently did. All of us are driving some – a more pleasant experience. Amazing how much easier it is to drive with fewer fellow drivers. The roads seem built for us. Actually, the roads and bridges and traffic signals and stop signs and warning signs and speed limit signs and more, all are provided for us, by us.
The dollars that each of us pay in income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and gasoline taxes are converted by our local, regional, state, and federal governments into our transportation system. In metropolitan Phoenix, a very high percentage of our streets and their accessories were designed and constructed with developer money – particularly residential developers. When we buy our house, we repay the developers for the roads they provided us.
We then use this collectively-provided transportation system to productively accomplish great things – whatever our vocations and avocations might be. We also use this self-provided transportation system for delight – to access various recreational and social activities.
Our mobility is phenomenal. We have the immediate ability to drive anywhere in our city, metropolitan area, state, nation, continent, and hemisphere. All is instantaneously accessible to us.
Last month, each of us likely complained while we waited for a red light that was 10 to 90 seconds longer than we wanted it to be. We also probably complained that a drive that was only 20 minutes ten years ago is now 30 minutes, or something like that. We certainly complained that there were too many cars on the road.
Now, we do not have those driving problems. (Other worries are consuming our thoughts.)
Think about the difference in traffic between January and March. Our roads can carry a very large amount of traffic – people like you and me in cars going to meaningful and enjoyable places. (Dr. Seuss taught me that in “Go Dogs Go”.) Please, respect and like the people who are sharing what they bought with you.
Curious about something traffic? Contact Paul Basha at (480) 505-3931 or pbasha@summitlandmgmt.com.
