Traffic Congestion 

In the United States, people spend millions of hours stuck in traffic each year. Not only are roads becoming busier, but, in Northern Michigan especially, the roads do not accommodate buses efficiently. No access to bus lanes leads to difficulty turning at major intersections, which make a driver’s trek harder and lowers the efficiency of the route. 


Solutions to this issue range depending on how the root of the issue is assessed. In some places, solutions stem from experimentation in urban areas where smart traffic lights with cameras can assess the traffic stream and adjust its frequency in real-time. In other areas, the root issue is the number of cars on the road, so public transportation or biking are incentivized. In Washington DC, an app called Incentrip rewards users with points for choosing environmentally friendly transportation. 


Cost of Fuel 

The cost of fuel for any vehicle can be an inhibiting factor. Fueling entire fleets can be time consuming and expensive. Especially with the fluctuating price of fuel, it is hard for fleet managers to standardize pricing for riders. The cost of fuel can also take its toll on the service routes a fleet can make.  

As more electric vehicles and buses are rolled out, this problem will begin to diminish. 

 

Road Conditions 

Especially in Northern Michigan, the harsh weather can take a toll on our roads. Potholes can cause major vehicular issues; damage to the wheels and create issues with suspension and steering. Poorly maintained roads can also impact driver behavior in terms of sudden speed and direction changes as people try to avoid these obstacles.

Prioritizing strategies around pavement preservation and gathering road quality data on the county level in real-time can help mitigate the worsening road conditions.


Parking 

Many people still rely on personal automobiles as their main mode of transportation. Because of this, many issues around parking arise. Firstly, finding updated information on availability and price of parking spaces, especially in urban areas, is tough. Also, existing parking spaces tend to be in inconvenient or inaccessible locations. 

Improving information for motorists, increasing the range of accessible parking, and encouraging or incentivizing public transportation are all viable solutions to common parking concerns.