Toot, toot, beep, beep

You probably missed the latest news report on Austin traffic because you were sitting in it.

According to a national analysis of urban traffic, Austin is the most congested medium-sized city in the country for the 5th year in a row.

The 2005 Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute calculated peak-hour Austinite drivers wasted 51 hours in their cars last year. The increase in travel time from 2002 is minimal, but the delay time has doubled since 1993, making Austin comprable to much larger cities like Boston.

Researchers say it's a lack of highway construction in the 80's and 90's that cause such major traffic problems. Talk about something coming back to bite you in the ass, huh?

Our city is doing something about it now. Five new toll roads and a commuter rail system are in the works. But in order for new roads and transportation systems to alleviate traffic, road construction has to exceed the population growth.

The Austinist suggests a "Don't Pro-create, Alleviate" campaign in order to curb population growth. Let's meet on the steps of the Capitol this Saturday. If you get stuck in traffic on your way downtown, just stand on your car and shout at your captive audience.