The following appeared in an editorial in a local newspaper.
“Commuters complain that increased rush-hour traffic on Blue Highway between the suburbs and the city center has doubled their commuting time. The favored proposal of the motorists’ lobby is to widen the highway, adding an additional lane of traffic. Opponents note that last year’s addition of a lane to the nearby Green Highway was followed by a worsening of traffic jams on it. Their suggested alternative proposal is adding a bicycle lane to Blue Highway. Many area residents are keen bicyclists. A bicycle lane would encourage them to use bicycles to commute, it is argued, thereby reducing rush-hour traffic.”
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
The argument presented above assumes that the addition of a new lane to a highway will ease congestion. Although this is possible, it is not a foregone conclusion. The underlying problem is the ever-increasing demand for automobiles, and that demand can only be met by increasing the supply of roads. Even if more roads were made available, the existing roads could not be widened indefinitely. Eventually, either traffic will decline, or building more roads will exhaust the available funds. The commuters who complain about the traffic congestion on Blue Highway have already finished their options, and widening the highway will only create more problems. A bicycle lane along Blue Highway might make bicycle commuting more attractive, but it is unlikely to reduce traffic.
Whether adding lanes to an existing highway or building an entirely new one, any new road project will require extensive studies to determine the amount of traffic the added road can handle. If the traffic load is large enough to warrant the new highway, it may need to be widened at some point. However, if the traffic load is light, then widening the road will not reduce congestion. In this case, a narrower road may be more appropriate. With traffic congestion at such a high level in the country, it is unlikely that a two-lane road can handle the traffic without adding additional lanes. Thus, bicyclists are better off using existing roads. Both traffic congestion and air pollution are problems affecting our quality of life, and we must take the steps necessary to avoid these problems in the future.