How You Can Help Reduce Traffic Congestion

The following activities can be a great help in reducing Meridian's traffic congestion.

Do as many of these as you can, and encourage your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to do the same. Together we can make a difference!

Do the Math

How much a week is your car costing, taking into account all the costs (parking, washing, traffic fines, etc.)? How much a week is your second car costing you? How much per mile does this work out to? Would it be cheaper for you to mix-and-match transportation modes (walk, bike, public transport, share a car, taxi and car hire)?

Keep Your Car Maintained and Fueled

Nothing jams up traffic more than a disabled vehicle, a car with a flat tire, or a vehicle that runs out of gas on a busy roadway. Don’t let it be yours.

Drive Less

What's within walking or bicycling distance of your home or office? Could you walk or bike to the store or to school. Could you walk between destinations that you drive to. If you have two errands too far from your home to walk, but close to each other, drive to one then walk to the other.

Consider Having Car-Free Days

For instance, only taking the car to work three days a week rather than five will force you to rationalize business car use more efficiently and give you two uninterrupted days in the office.

Carpool/Rideshare

If you have a regular commute schedule, carpooling may be a great option for you. The trick is finding people that live near you who have similar commute schedules.

Walk to Your Destination

If it's a reasonable distance, you'll save energy and improve your health. Doctors say that regular walking is the best form of exercise, helping to control weight and build a healthy heart. Walking also helps to reduce tension and stress. Get some good walking shoes, dress for the weather, and hoof it!

Ride Your Bike

If you need to travel a greater distance, take your bike. Again, it’s good exercise, it feels great and it’s fun. During the dead of winter, bicycling may be difficult, but for the rest of the year a bike is fine.

Take a Bus

Many communities have a public transit system. We all need to use and support public transit, because if these systems are used adequately they are more energy efficient than cars, and they help reduce wasteful traffic congestion. If we increase their use, the governments will increase the frequency and convenience of the schedules, which in turn will further increase their use, thereby discouraging individual car traffic. For long-distance travel, try to use buses or group shuttle services.

Alter Your Work Schedule

If “flextime” is an option for your position, go in to work early or late, and leave the same amount early or late. Again, if your position permits, you may be able to work entirely from home (telecommute) or work a compressed work week.

Do More Business by Phone or E-Mail

While some business interactions might require face-to-face meetings, many could just as easily be handled via telephone, tele-conference, or e-mail.

Plan Ahead and Combine Errands

Reduce your driving by planning ahead and combining several small trips into one, whenever possible. Over a year's time, your savings in energy, money and time could be substantial, while your part in traffic congestion shrinks.

Avoid Rush Hour

Stop and go traffic breeds traffic congestion. Whenever possible, choose non-rush hours to do your driving.

Pack a Lunch and Eat In

This will help you avoid the noon-hour traffic rush and just might help trim your waistline and bulk up your savings account.

Shop Online or Have Products Delivered

Online shopping and/or home delivery can often eliminate car trips for your home or business.

Live Near Your Place of Work or School

If it takes more than 30 minutes to walk to your workplace or school, perhaps you could move closer.

Choose the Closest Destination

When deciding where to dine, shop, or do business, always try to choose the destination closest to your home or office.

Recreate Close to Home

Plan your vacations close to home and get to know all the highlights of your local parks, museums, libraries, art galleries, theaters and other attractions. We have many wonderful sights and destinations right here to enjoy. Or boost the local economy, save energy, reduce traffic congestion and relax at home.

Form a Car-Share Club

If there are no Car-Share Clubs in your neighborhood, start an informal one with one or more friends. If you really only need a car occasionally, you may be able to do without it altogether by saving up your car trips, then borrowing a friend’s car for a day and doing all your car trips together. Alternatively, if you already own a car, offer to share it with someone else as a means of justifying continued ownership.

Form a “Walking School Bus”

If you have school-age children, walk them to school and offer to walk other children. Alternatively, find someone who already walks and ask if they mind walking your kids. If you live too far away to let your kids walk, park your car and walk the last few blocks. This reduces traffic congestion near the school and makes it safer for the other kids walking.

Demand Higher Fuel Efficiency Standards

The gas-guzzling of most U.S. cars and trucks is significant. Each of us needs to demand that our elected officials set much higher fuel-efficiency standards. The technologies already exist, but many Americans are stuck in a rut, using large, powerful vehicles for everyday use. This is not sustainable behavior.

Demand Better Transportation Planning

Right now, most government transportation managers are focused on building more roads and highways. They are not promoting wiser, healthier, more efficient transportation methods. Each of us needs to demand that our elected officials support alternative, better transportation methods, as well as strict land use zoning to reduce urban sprawl.

Know Before You Go

Keep up-to-date on local weather reports, road improvement projects, road maintenance and construction delays, collisions or incidents causing traffic back-ups, and alternate routes.

Educate Your Children

You can help teach young people the values of walking, biking and mass transit, and the importance of efficient land use planning. Perhaps the new generation will finally get it right!