Word: traffics
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Traffic jams are infuriating wherever you are, but in the Netherlands, they are the source of particular angst. Not only is the densely populated country home to Europe's most congested metropolitan region - the area called the Randstad that incorporates Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague - but many Dutch people live below sea level, making them more than a little nervous about carbon emissions, global warming and the possibility that their country could soon be underwater...
...road - taxing every motorist who gets behind the wheel based on the distance of their trip and the kind of car they drive. The plan, which was approved by the Dutch cabinet in November and is expected to be implemented in 2012, aims to eventually cut the number of traffic jams in the country in half. (See the top 10 green ideas...
...According to Traffic Minister Camiel Eurlings, the hope is that commuters faced with paying a hefty tax on their driving will opt to start carpooling or riding bicycles to work, and may, in the long term, even move to live closer to their jobs. "The goal is a different manner of paying for mobility that is more fair," Eurlings says. "Not paying more, but paying differently, with a positive income effect for most households." (See the 50 worst cars of all time...
...Naturally, the plan is not without its critics. The environmental group Friends of the Earth says it will do little to reduce traffic, since driving, for the most part, will still be cheaper than using public transport, even on long trips. And some transport experts argue that road improvement projects - such as building better links connecting the main highways that crisscross the country - would be more effective at reducing congestion. "It's not simply about using cars and roads less, but about using them better," says Christophe Nicodème, head of the European Union Road Federation...
...Netherlands may be known overseas for its cycling culture, but outside the country's city centers, gridlock is the more dreary reality. Vehicle use has risen sharply over the years, but road capacity has yet to catch up - in part due to lack of space. Previous attempts to reduce traffic - from offering incentives to people who carpool to giving away free croissants and newspapers on public transport - have had little effect. The government estimates that a typical rush hour has about 270 kilometers of traffic jams, although the GPS maker TomTom often records up to 1,000 kilometers of back...