Communities work to unclog congested roads

By Scott Olson, Getty Images

Drivers navigate through morning rush hour in Chicago, one of the most congested cities in the U.S.

EnlargeCloseBy Scott Olson, Getty Images

Drivers navigate through morning rush hour in Chicago, one of the most congested cities in the U.S.

Many strategies focus not on increasing the capacity of streets and highways but on cutting the number of vehicles on the road.

"When you reduce the number of people on the roads, it's like adding a virtual lane," says Kevin Green, executive director of the non-profit Clean Air Campaign in Atlanta, which works to reduce congestion. "It doesn't cost anything, doesn't pollute your air, and it's immediate."

ALTERING HABITS: Workers deal with commute2010: Metro areas' traffic congestion up 11%Green's group helped spur a 20% increase in alternative forms of commuting, including a big jump in telecommuting. Among other strategies:

•Non-commercial car-sharing, which exploits the fact that most cars sit idle 90% of the time, is catching on in some communities. It's especially effective for older people who own a car but can't or prefer not to drive. Younger people use the car when they need it and make sure the seniors get to appointments.

•Microsoft's bus service for its employees, launched in the Seattle area in 2007, is the city's third-largest bus system, says Alan Pisarski, author of Commuting in America. "It seems to me that the employers, especially high-tech employers who are much more accustomed to accommodating their employees, that this would be a natural thing for them to jump into."

•High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, in which single-occupant vehicles pay a toll to use some lanes of expressways, are gaining popularity, says Jack Finn, senior vice president at HNTB, an engineering and construction firm based in Kansas City, Mo.

•Drivers are using in-vehicle GPS navigation systems to skirt logjams. Chicago, one of the most congested cities, is No. 1 for use, says service provider TeleNav. Rounding out the top five: Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Houston.

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