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Which of these are not like the others?
1) “Let’s not forget that younger professionals often prefer time with their iPads and smartphones than time behind the wheel. Our first-rate transit system is a draw not to be underestimated.” - Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce.
2) "In a lot of people's lives, [driving is] the only time they have alone. It does give a nice transition time between work and home." - The Tampa Tribune.
3) “For fast-paced urbanites, it all comes down to making the best use of time while commuting, and for many people that means punching up electronics to stay connected to the world outside, Northwestern University researchers found.” - The Chicago Tribune.
If you guessed 2, you win the gold star of the day. Ignoring the negativity in quote two (people really want to spend time in traffic over time with their family and friends?), the idea that traffic is something to be valued is horrifying to anyone who cares about economic development and job creation.
 Traffic on the Veterans Expressway.
As a Tampa Bay driver sits in traffic, experiencing “nice transition time”, the truck transporting fruit or fuel from the Port of Tampa or Port Manatee is sitting in traffic too. To that truck, time and money is being wasted. Worse yet, sitting in traffic could be a business executive in town for a convention. Why would that executive consider Tampa Bay for a new office or factory, when employees can’t get to work or their product gets stuck on the interstate?
In quote 3, the study of the Chicago transit system found riders who benefitted by reading books or using their wireless devices during their commute. In quote 1, the Salt Lake City Chamber was celebrating being named among the top cities for young professionals. You know Salt Lake, the one that was founded by religious missionaries, is covered in snow in the winter and desert the rest of the time? Yup, their transportation system helps to make it one of the best cities for young and talented professionals.
Regions with transit see the benefits every day. Whether it is Charlotte’s livable community development around their light rail, Phoenix’s job creation in a recession, or New Yorkers dreaming on the A-Train, the benefits are far greater than “nice transition time” spent defending your SunPass lane on the Veterans Expressway. Ask anyone who has had to sit on 275 or I-4 in the fog for the last few days if they valued that “nice transition time.”
Maybe, if you’re a pessimist, Tampa Bay drivers can multitask on the roads, as traffic jams offer the opportunity to text or send emails. But that won’t be for long, if some state legislators have their way. You’ll have to enjoy that “nice transition time” without your smartphone and envy the commuters everywhere else playing Angry Birds on their way to work.
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