Congestion and Traffic Pollution in New York City

1022 Words3 Pages

Congestion and traffic pollution has been a major problem in New York City for years. There have been many laws, tolls, and fines implemented over the past few decades to try and fix the problem. Yet, congestion still exists. Congestion occurs when there is overcrowding on roadways that’s causes traffic jams. There are several reasons for the severity of this issue. Congestion causes a lot of delays in the city. It is unlikely that people are on time for anything, even if they planned ahead. With traffic in the city the way it is, you can’t blame them. The indirect effect of congestion is traffic pollution. Traffic pollution is polluting of the environment caused by harmful toxins and gases given released by cars. The amount of pollution that rises from cars in the city is an immediate health risk for all its residents. It is an ongoing problem New Yorkers face, one that I think, with cooperation from city officials, can be remedied. There are several factors that complicate the traffic pollution and congestion problem in the city. The first and perhaps biggest factor is the amount of cars in the city. The reason there are so many cars is because New York City has been overdeveloped with commercial enterprise; meaning too many businesses have offices located in Manhattan. There are too many cars and too few roads. A second major cause of the traffic problems in the city is gridlock. Gridlock is defined the inability to move on a transport network. The traffic that resulted from me getting stuck in the middle of the intersection is referred to as gridlock. A third major cause is one-way streets. One-way streets cause people to travel an excess amount to get to their destination. This in effect causes increased pollution because of ...

... middle of paper ...

...here is a shortage of parking already. Traffic pollution and congestion is a major issue in New York City. It has been and will continue to be a problem until someone steps in once and for all and takes charge. While there are those that argue it is impossible to implement plans and tolls to reduce the amount of cars on the road in New York City, I for one believe it can be done. The naysayers and the critics’ pessimistic outlook is exactly the reason why the city has pollution and congestion issues today. Each person has a responsibility to do what he or she can to try and mediate the problem. If it means taking the train, take the train. If it means taking the subway, take the subway. As they say in therapy, New Yorkers, too, must admit they have a problem. One, that if not dealt with promptly and properly, will have dire consequences for future generations to come.

Open Document