Some questions to ask about area's traffic

The idea for 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 remain at 62 minutes for over two hours.

I contend that vehicular travel in Chicagoland does not work, and these are my observations.

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

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

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

4. 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!)

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

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

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

8. 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 traffic leaders 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