Monroe Traffic Becoming Worse
By Ken Sticks, Beat Writer
6/18/2006
Traffic jams throughout the City of Monroe has had a massive impact on the area, as a national survey recently released showed. It was documented that residents of the city spend an average of 76 hours a year in traffic jams at a cost of $624 per commuter.
Monroe, which has the worst traffic in the state and the fourth-worst traffic in the country behind Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco, is becoming a problem that does not appear to have a solution in sight. It has been noted as a growing problem for a few years, yet here has been little to no effort to rectify the congestion issue. The survey simply verified what was already known: Unpredictable travel time has become even less predictable, and things seem to be only getting worse.
“Driving here is absolutely frustrating,” said Kimberly Thomas, a local police officer. “And we are expected to protect the roads when we can potentially be sucked into the traffic monster, becoming completely helpless just as easily as the next person. This is something that needs to be address immediately.”
Monroe is not alone. Studies have shown that metropolitan areas across the country are experiencing an increase in congestion due to a lack of roads and other forms of public
transportation (bus, train, etc.).
Poor highway management and land-use planning contribute to the deteriorating state of travel. For those who are forced to deal with the traffic everyday, whether due to work or other obligations, it results in more travel time and less quality time with family or for themselves.
“I leave work some days at 4:00pm assuming I’m not getting home until 6:00pm or 6:30pm, when a clear commute only takes a half hour max,” said Ernest Wyatt, who commutes from the east side to the west side of the city everyday.
“The crazy part is I feel like I’m spending more time on stuck in traffic than with my wife and daughter, said Wyatt who works for Brutt Shipping Company. “That is the most frustrating part because my daughter is only 2 and I want to spend time more time with her, but it’s what I have to deal with living and working in Monroe.”
After numerous calls, the City of Monroe and the Boys State Department of Transportation were never reached for comment.