Traffic is a hot issue in Traverse City, yet much of the debate focuses on how to move traffic from one area to another, rather than ways to actually reduce it. Unless we give visitors and workers more options for getting around, congestion will increase.
In the Grand Traverse region, our long-distance commutes are having a big impact on our health. In fact, most Grand Traverse area workers spend about 46 minutes a day sitting alone in their cars traveling to and from work.
Transportation costs in the Grand Traverse region are sky-high. In fact, the average family spends about $15,000 a year on transportation alone, according to the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
Local Motion, a new northwest Michigan program for improving transportation choices in the Grand Traverse region, is rolling out a series of fact sheets to outline our current transportation habits. This first sheet reveals the current reality: Most commuters in the Grand Traverse area drive very long distances to get to work.
Trying to get around the Grand Traverse area without a car is no small task. But it’s getting easier every day.
Even on “The Jetsons,” hapless George would still get stuck in traffic jams on the way to work. Instead, says the Michigan Land Use Institute, what we need is a new vision for the future of commuting. MLUI wants to begin with a program called Local Motion, a community effort with local businesses, and a new website.