Lost Productivity Due to Traffic

The problem of traffic congestion in major cities such as Houston has always been a problem.  Commutors dislike the long travel time it takes to get from home to work, and environmentalists dislike the emissions released from hundred of idling cars stuck in traffic.

However, the woes of traffic congestion don't stop there -- it also leads to a loss of productivity.  Although commute times don't directly affect working hours (people still need to work their 8 to 5, regardless of the time it takes to get there) people sacrifice their home lives for commute times.  The loss of free time and the stress of driving can aversely impact their productivity.  A one hour commute from the suburbs to the city, twice a day, five times a week translates to 10 hours of commuting per week. That is the equivalent of an additional quarter of a full time job (40 hrs).

Although commute times usually only affect personal hours, accidents can take time away from working hours.  Accidents occur every day on freeways causing people to be late for work and lose hours of productivity.

Clearly, the problem of traffic congestion has environmental and economic impacts, and it must be addressed.