Traffic Congestion in America and Its Solution

Americans are faced with several problems on a daily basis. Traffic is atrocious. Anywhere you go, be it work, school or just to visit a friend or realative, you are surrounded by traffic. The average American commuter spends 50 hours per year in traffic (1). If you live to be 70 years old that is 3500 hours in traffic, that is almost 5 months of your life stuck in traffic. Imagine what you could do with 5 months of your life back, spend time with your family or simply extra time to relax, it does not matter as long as you are not wasting unneccesary time in traffic. Gas prices are at an all time high, a barrel of crude oil is up to 90 dollars (2). That is a rise of 450% from 2000 according to OPEC the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Obesity in America is being labeled as a crisis: a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic, political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change, and an epidemic: a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease. Approximately 119 million American citizens are obese, that makes up 60% of America (3). 119 million people are overeating and under-exercising causing Americans to contract this newly classified disease. Damn, Americans sure are owning up to our stereotypical laziness. Now, because there are so many cars on the road, the ozone layer is depleting and global warming is real, regardless if President Bush does not believe in it. What is going on? Where did all these problems come from? What are we going to do to solve these problems? Just relax, I know the root of this problem and have a solution for America. Americans are not riding their bicycles. All the problems layed out can and will be subdued if we all put down the cheeseburger, got out of our cars, off the sofa, and hopped on our bikes. But remember we are all lazy Americans, how is this going to happen? The government will make you. At the age of 18 all American citizens will be required by law to own a

Cited: "Transportation California Reports Time Spent Stuck in Traffic Congestion Increased by Nearly 50 Percent During the 1990s". Business Wire. Sept 1, 2000. FindArticles.com. 31 Jan. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_Sept_1/ai_64991971 Williams, James L. "Oil Price History and Analysis" http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm Publish by Trust for America 's Health, F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2005 ' http://healthyamericans.org/docs/print.php?DocID=102 Mygatt, Elizibeth, 'Bicycle Production Remains Strong Worldwide ' Published by Earth Policy Institute, 2005 http://www.earth-policy.org/Indicators/Bike/2005.htm