It may surprise you to learn that whereas USA took nearly 60 years to acquire 100 million cars, the country just needed ten years to purchase the following 100 million! As the number of cars has increased, a serious issue with traffic congestion has also emerged, endangering the health and safety of metropolitan areas. Congestion is an issue that arises in cities on a regular basis, negatively impacting traffic flow and lengthening travel times.
What’s Clogging Up Our Highways?
One of the main causes of the steadily worsening traffic situation in major city centers is illegal on-street parking. Car owners are frequently forced to park illegally on the streets due to inadequate and badly maintained parking spaces. Such parking violations have a disastrous effect on people’ lives when they extend into walkways. Illegal parking causes jams on even the broadest of roadways. Conversely, there are certain roads that have more traffic than they can handle. Therefore, building more roads is only a short-term solution to the problem.
Furthermore, in the lack of a centralized database, legislators and law enforcement are oblivious to traffic conditions and neglect to take appropriate action to prevent gridlock. It is not difficult to envision inadequate traffic control escalating gridlock. Although municipal authorities strive to be proactive in the planning and development of a township, they frequently neglect amenities like parking fees. They can also be underestimating the number of cars on a certain route. Over time, the neglect of these important components leads to traffic bottlenecks.
One Of The Main Causes Of Traffic Is Illegal Parking.
In cities, illegal parking takes up valuable road space, resulting in regular traffic bottlenecks. Cars are frequently parked carelessly, with no regard for other commuters. Illegal parking annoys pedestrians and disrupts regular traffic flow in a short amount of time.
There is a shocking lack of discipline when it comes to parking. Most drivers continue to park haphazardly because they are blissfully unaware of the norms and regulations, and they have no qualms about obstructing other vehicles’ access. Traffic management is doomed when there are too few parking spaces and an increase in the number of cars in metropolitan areas. The ongoing air pollution and noise bother commuters as well as walkers. Busy roads are clogged for hours on end, especially when there are no traffic police officers on duty.
Why is there an increase in unlawful parking? A single facet of it is the lack of proper parking facilities. Commuters are discouraged from using suitable off-street and multi-level parking sites due to inadequate management and exorbitant fees. Having said that, with automobile ownership becoming a need rather than a luxury, India lacks sufficient permitted multi-story parking lots. In most American cities, there is an abundance of unofficial parking spots that not only impede traffic flow but also significantly reduce one of the municipal government’s main sources of income.
Other drivers’ and pedestrians’ safety is at risk due to illegal parking. It lowers the road’s capacity to support traffic, leads to collisions, interferes with public transportation, and exacerbates traffic congestion. Let’s see how this kind of scenario frequently occurs in our cities:
Scenario 1:
A few roadside vendors serve meals. People who want to get something to eat usually park on the street and savor their meal. The street becomes narrower overall as a result of additional drivers being encouraged to park their cars on it by the temporary parking. There is a traffic bottleneck because the parked cars are in the way of approaching traffic.
Situation #2
Car owners park on the sidewalks that border the roadways since there aren’t enough parking spaces in their community. The only option left to pedestrians is to stroll on the sides of the road, which impedes vehicular flow. Traffic bottlenecks are caused by pedestrians flooding the roadways.
Scenario 3:
Vendors and customers alike are parking their cars on the streets of a busy market. The market opens and closes at the same time as office hours end. Unplanned parking reduces the road’s ability to transport vehicles, which leads to heavy traffic, particularly in the evening.
How many times a day does one come across situations like these? The response is nearly always.
Smart Parking Can Help With Traffic Problems.
Given that inadequate facility management and insufficient traffic data are the primary causes of illicit on-street parking, a smart parking system can effectively mitigate the issue. Target regions’ traffic density and intensity may be measured and stored using the sensors and devices built into smart parking systems. Local government entities can monitor traffic flow and improve parking and traffic management with the use of this information.
Vehicle owners would naturally utilize fewer unlawful spots when they have access to better and safer parking facilities. Therefore, a smart parking system can help ease traffic congestion and provide facility managers with tools for better management. As a result, our cities ought to move quickly to put in place a sensible smart parking scheme. Additionally, car owners need to be made aware of the value of parking responsibly and for a fee by local governments. Parking is, after all, a luxury that requires payment rather than a right
