Traffic hell (still)...

 

 

"If you ever wanted to count up the hours wasted just sitting in traffic, most would not be happy with the answer. It is a huge number..."

For those who are still working, this article will come as no surprise to you. That is unless you live and work in a small town, or work out of your home. However, if you are one of the minions who need or needed to commute to your place of employment, this article will sound very familiar.

First a bit of my history. I started working in December of 1975, three days after graduating from the University. My first commute was from Coon Rapids to Eagan. There was a rush hour starting at 5 or so, but the traffic was manageable. If you could flex your time by a half hour by leaving a 4:30 , it made all the difference in the world. And if you could leave by 4, traffic became a real non-factor.

Later in my career in the early 2000's, I worked for IBM. I was part of the Chicago Team. There were two of us in Minnesota who handled all the IBM accounts. When we got together for a team meeting in Chicago, I would often drive there. I was amazed at the traffic in that town! Rush hour never stopped. Even though traffic in the Twin Cities had become worse, it was nothing like Chicago.

After I retired from IBM, I decided to "take one more trip around the block". I accepted employment at Ecolab in St. Paul. Great job, great company, horrible drive. I only lasted one year until I could not take it anymore. On a normal day, the trip from my driveway to plugging in my computer at my desk was 2 hours. Going home was about the same way. That was four hours a day sitting in traffic. If it rained, snowed, or if there was an accident, it was longer. We were now becoming like Chicago.

Why do I give all this history? Simple - traffic has not become better, it has become worse. Much worse. I had a medical appointment yesterday at 8:30 which was only 26 miles away. It took me an hour and twenty minutes to get there! We are so overdue for MAJOR improvements in our highways and byways. Trains have done NOTHING (let me say that word again - NOTHING) to ease traffic. It was promised if we built the North Star choo-choo, traffic on Highway 10 would be much, much better. To that I say BALDERDASH! It sucks worst than ever now!

Here is the rub - traffic could be worse. How, you might ask? If our workforce participation rate was at a normal level instead of at a historic low, I can't imagine traffic with all the additional cars on the road.

We elect our state reps to come up with innovative and cost effective ways to maintain and improve our transit system. All the DFL has been able to come up with are trains which don't pay for themselves, and soaking the driving public with a huge gas tax. The Republicans also had a plan which was different than the DFL's plan. However, they were so busy debating Sunday liquor sales, nothing on transportation got resolved. So here we are, stuck in traffic - stuck in traffic hell.

Mayor Betsy can brag all she wants about the quality of life in Minneapolis. If you are a city rat living in a high rise and in walking distance of your place of employment, then maybe it is okay for you. However, if you love life in Maple Grove, and your place of employment is Lakeville, good luck with that. Ain't no bus nor choo-choo than can help that one! You either drive your car in dead stop rush hour traffic, or stay home. And that is my traffic report for the morning.