Traffic- An unintended consequence of Urban Form

This post aims to tackle the aspect of traffic generated from heavy prioritization of some urban cities as work-centers and centers of play. Some of the methods used to alleviate such traffic are highlighted, as well as the consequences of traffic on a personal and general scale. In large, Traffic refers to the transport route and efficiency of mobility within cities. It affects both privately transported citizens and those who use public transport. Cities are often described as having an urban form very closely and intimately related to modes of transport and mobility, but less attention is paid to the reverse of this; i.e. how do cities hinder transport and mobility in the form of traffic generated through overuse and overloading in densities of those who travel from one place to another.

 Some cities aim to alleviate the traffic menace through the use of certain incentives and deterrents. These include facilitating the flow of non-vehicular movement, such as bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, as well as the promotion of an adequately functioning public transport system of buses and taxis. Deterrents to private vehicular flow include strict clamping and towing laws, and even a network of roads which are routinely blocked off and converted to one-way lanes.

The Bottleneck Effect

The flow of traffic eased as the SUV entered the newly constructed four lane overpass highway. Such an invention enabled cars to space out, to unleash the hidden horsepower below the hood and to provide the brakes with a reprieve from the constant stopping and starting which plagued the drive thus far. The vehicle gaining and gaining speed, pushing the needle further upwards, with the man behind the wheel venting his frustration caused by the aforementioned traffic on the accelerator pedal. This sensation lasted  a full five minutes. That was all, until he reached the entrance to the urban city, where the four lanes miraculously merged into two, and the innumerable number of cars which had entered the mega-highway now became squeezed into two lanes, a bottleneck effect of sorts, and the traffic resumed, even worse than before and twice as difficult to maneuver through due to the layout of the streets within the city. 

1.  The top picture, taken at West-Moorings, shows an example of traffic conjured by too many persons needing to venture into an urban space for their daily activities of work, consumption and play. The picture below it depicts an overpass constructed which attempts to alleviate traffic that is leaving the city. While this overpass is a good idea, it does not solve the real problem, which lies in the cities themselves as hubs of activity that involve a large number of persons who rely on private transport due to the unreliability of a properly functioning public transport system, as well as the convenience that private vehicles afford.


2.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2011/11/30/new-traffic-plans-next-monday

The link above relates to one of numerous attempts made by the government in their fight against traffic, and the lack of productivity and other negative effects which it brings.