TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND TRAVEL RELIABILITY: HOW BAD IS THE SITUATION AND WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT?

Taken in a long historical sense, traffic congestion has been around forever. The growth in population and travel needs will continue -- the challenge is for the growth to be handled in ways that don't make travel time considerations an undue burden. While congestion--in traffic, transit, Internet, or other forms--will not be eliminated, there are many improvements that can make congestion easier to deal with. Some of these require construction or behavioral changes. Several others are comparatively simple changes in the way the system is managed by agencies and used by travelers and freight shippers. This paper explores some of the issues of traffic congestion and mobility in U.S. cities at the beginning of the 21st century.