Congestion as a Contemporary Problem

Congestion in Cities

Cities like Amsterdam and Paris are certainly comparable when it comes to their culture, their economy, and the general feelings experienced by people there. However, when it comes to traffic congestion, these two are especially different from one another, with the former being one of Europe's least congested cities while the latter suffers from some of the worst traffic jams on the continent.

The French authorities have struggled to reduce the level of traffic jams in Paris and car traffic in the city was reduced by 21% since 2001. Even with this, the fact that public transport does not effectively cover all the important areas in the city influences individuals to buy more cars and to get actively involved in contributing to traffic jams. City planners focused on more privileged areas of the city and failed to comprehend the degree to which ignoring the importance of public transport in Paris' suburbs would reflect negatively on the city as a whole.

c.

In contrast to Paris, Amsterdam has much smoother traffic and it is easy to go around it. Drivers there rarely come across traffic jams experience more comfortable rides. Bicycles have played an important role in making Amsterdam's infrastructure enjoyable to motorists and to the whole country. With the airport being relatively close to the city, it is accessible to the world, considering the fifteen minutes it would take from Schiphol Airport to the city. "Amsterdam's train station for example is the largest public transportation hub in the Netherlands. From here approximately 300,000 passengers per day come and go by bus, tram, metro or train." (Amsterdam: one of Europe's least congested cities)

Residents in Paris are concerned about their city's condition and play an active role in making it less agglomerated. While they've partially managed to solve this issue by reducing the number of polluting cars, the number of cars continues to be an important problem. "For example, very effective transit service is provided from the suburbs of Paris, where 80% of the population lives, into the city." (Cox 9)

Public transportation in the suburbs of Paris can be especially problematic and inaccessible. The fact that there are a large number of people in the suburbs contributes to the traffic problem, with density being an important issue in the area (Cox 9). Tourists contribute to the growing number of people there and the authorities do not recommend renting cars and driving through Paris without being familiar with it. Individuals in Paris struggle to control the situation by reducing the number of cars and trying to use public transportation more. "A majority of Parisian households do not own cars." (Jaroski 12)

The rapid trains in the Paris area significantly quicken the pace in the city and make it possible for people to travel faster. The Metro also contributes to making traffic less than a problem, taking into account that it provides 68 million seats for every kilometer during a day.

Amsterdam is one of the cities with the biggest number of bicycles in the world and every person in the city has access to an infrastructure specially designed for this means of transport. While it appears that the city is the perfect location for individuals who don't like congestion, the reality is that it also has its problems. The fact that it has a great deal of bicycles raises other issues like numerous accidents and chaos during busy hours. Parking has also come to be a problem for bicycles, with many bike owners complaining that they can't find parking spaces. "The city must now invest $135 million in improving biking infrastructure and plans to construct 38,000 new bike parking racks within the next few years." (In Amsterdam, there are more bicycles than people)

The authorities focus on resolving any traffic problems through installing a series of large parking lots in the near future. They are still content that the traffic problem does not involve cars and the number of motor vehicles in the city has significantly decreased in recent years.

While population density plays an important role in creating traffic jams, it is not the only thing that matters when considering this topic. Infrastructure is also extremely important, taking into account that streets specially designed to deal with traffic jams can be effective in reducing congestion levels and enabling people to travel with less stress. When considering London, congestion is a significant problem. The fact that the city was not initially designed to fit motorists is among the main reasons why this problem occurs. Even with the fact that authorities have struggled to create roads that are as wide as possible in order for motorists to experience little to no problems, conditions are still problematic in the city with narrow streets being too difficult to deal with by the constantly growing number of drivers.

Sao Paolo is yet another city with a density much lower in comparison to Paris. This does not stop traffic jams from actually being comparable to the ones in the French capital. Some jams in the city have been reported to be as long as 180km. This paints a vivid picture of the gravity of the situation there, with drivers struggling to make it in a system that is not exactly driver-friendly.

d.

The people in the metropolitan area are geographically located in proportion to the city in a way that advantage it. The economical and cultural value of France largely relates on Paris and it thus need to function perfectly. The fact that the city is located in an area where it rarely happens for people to experience extremely high or extremely low temperature makes it possible for the environment to be somewhat welcoming. The Ocean is largely responsible for this, as it affects its climate, this meaning that it is largely invulnerable to the more critical meteorological conditions that can sometimes be experienced by areas that are more inland.

e.

The numerous canals in Amsterdam make it a city where driving a boat is an intriguing opportunity. The two rivers flowing in its vicinity, Ij and Amstel, contribute to making water a particularly usual thing. "Amsterdam's main canals -- such as Singel, Prinsen, Keizers, and Heren -- are intersected by numerous short waterways, dividing the city into about 90 islands that are linked by more than 1,200 bridges." (Geography of Amsterdam) People often relate to the city as being the Venice of the north.