New rules needed to manage traffic

This letter started when I heard the morning traffic reporter state that it was a 62 minute ride from Thorndale on in at 6:22 a.m., and stayed at 62 minutes for over two hours.

I contend that vehicular traffic travel in the Chicago area does not work and these are my observations.

Suburban motorists cannot plan any normal commuting times. One spends more time on the road from Wheaton to Wrigley Field than actual attending time at a night game.

Rush hour can actually last most of the day - not just the traditional morning and afternoon hassles.

Inaccurate radio traffic reports and unannounced lane closures add to the frustration. ("Unusually heavy" and "normal situation" mean what?)

I am suggesting that construction tie-up no more than three miles of roadway and not be allowed on parallel roadways during the same season. (I am aware of economies of scale.)

Truckers, once the best drivers, add driving stress by going too fast or slow, tailgating, unnecessary lane changes, and by clogging up the left and middle lanes.

There is a glaring lack of law enforcement for speedy and road rage drivers who do not follow the rules of the road and who put others "at risk" daily.

Why aren't there dedicated toll lanes on all major expressways - it is working in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area.

Why haven't poorly designed interchanges been updated? Why haven't inadequate suburban roads been widened? Why hasn't public transportation helped?

One of the major functions of the media, including this newspaper, is to hold those traffic leaders responsible - accountable. It is not being done.

This problem will not be solved until the need for traffic reports is no longer needed.

Jim Lentz

Wheaton