Solutions

Human error is inevitable, and we need to start relying on the mechanical systems over the people themselves. The advancement of self-driving cars would be a crucial asset in the improvement of traffic congestion. Drivers often have a false sense of confidence, which could result into risky behavior. If we have a system almost entirely run by machines, there would be a significant decrease in accident rates, leading to smoother roads.

Nearly 81% of all vehicle accidents have been caused due to human error, and not only do they result in backed up traffic, they also result in injuries and even the loss of life. Self-driving cars would be able to communicate with each other, and by using data they could calculate the fastest, most efficient, and most importantly the safest routes to the commuters destination. The cars would be able to react faster, especially in case of an emergency, allowing for emergency vehicles to travel to their destination quicker.

Self-driving vehicles also open up the idea of 'platooning,' a system where connected vehicles communicate with each other and move in a synchronized order. Lead by a single vehicle, all vehicles behind it are connected to share the same speeds, direction, acceleration and braking actions performed by the leading vehicle. This form of machine-to-machine communication can be easily added through many current technologies including, GPS, Radar-Sensing Systems, Bluetooth, etc,.

Another method possibly used to reduce traffic congestion is "Congestion Pricing." Congestion Pricing is described to be 'a method in reducing traffic congestion by charging a small fee to commuters on during rush hour.' There are three possible forms of Congestion Pricing:

• Variable Priced Lanes
• Cordon Charges
• Area-Wide Charges

Variable Priced Lanes: This form of Congestion Pricing involves tolls that charge low-occupancy vehicles on certain roads, while allowing high-occupancy vehicles, buses, and emergency vehicles to pass through without any charge. High Occupancy Toll Lanes also could open up to the public, with private commuters who reach a certain passenger requirement allowed to use these roads free of charge, or have private commuters pay a fee to pass through. Currently, HOT lanes are forced to pay fees, but with Variable Priced Lanes, more people will be convinced to carpool or take public transit. If two or more people carpool, both passengers would pay half the fee, or if someone where to take public transit, they wouldn't need to pay the additional fee, which will be more appealing to commuters, convincing them to use these methods of transportation.

Cordon Pricing: This form of Congestion Pricing involves charging anyone to enter or leave a congested part of the city. This method is has been tested on major cities including London and Stockholm, and has been shown to have many positive benefits. In both cities, decreased rates of congestion have been shown, resulting in fewer accident due to less vehicles on the road. A significant reduction of pollution and diseases caused by poor air-quality was shown, improving the overall quality of life. Fewer vehicles on the road also meant that more businesses could access consumers quicker and easier, allowing for an overall boost in the economy.

Experimentally, using the two most busy avenues in the Fenway (Huntington & Mass Ave), tolls would be set up along and commuters would be charged at peak hours of the day to discourage the usage of such roads and ease the commute on busy streets. During peak hours, the cost of the toll will range around the four dollar mark, with early morning tolls only costing a dollar and cars driving past six can go by toll free.

The final method of traffic reduction is cutting off transportation/vehicles in certain areas all together. If certain roads were shut down and turned into walking areas for pedestrians and bikers, more people would be willing to to leave their vehicles and and engage more within the city. Another possibility could be widening street walks, allowing for more room for pedestrians walking by. Adding separate bike lanes also help promote the idea of biking to areas over taking private vehicles.

By placing gardens, fields, seating areas, etc, you are creating a more opening environment, not only to the citizens but also to people entering and visiting the area. If more people use these opportunities to walk over the usage of a vehicle, it will result in a slight drop in the number of vehicles on the road.

Certain people may also resort to public transit if it becomes the more effective route for them. If people are convinced to go onto public transportation over their own private vehicles, it will also show major benefits. the more people who use public transportation, the more people off the streets, the more money that can be used to pay off debt and expand, and less fuel and time used to get from one area to another, overall proving to be an effective form of transportation.Taking public transportation will (as mentioned above) help the MBTA pay off debt, but without debt, they now have resources to make public transit better for the commuters.

By slightly narrowing down the road, we have managed to create a relatively good space for bike riders to bike safely. Seeing these separate lanes, people will feel safer and will be more likely to bike on these paths.