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Keller @ Large: Here's How We Can Improve Traffic

BOSTON (CBS) - What's this?

A new MassINC WBUR poll of Boston area residents finds more than half say traffic around here has gotten worse in the last few years.

I know what you're thinking - only half?

I have little doubt that congestion is worsening, probably from the growth in the number of cars, trucks, and cars as big as trucks on roads that haven't significantly increased their capacity.

The big question is, what do we do about it?

Improving the MBTA and making it cheaper to ride were popular choices. Also, removing toll booths and widening the roads. One problem: all of those solutions cost money, and solid majorities oppose higher taxes or tolls to pay for them.

Here's a constructive suggestion: let's see if we can increase the percentage of drivers on the road who actually have a clue what they're doing.

Forty-three percent of local drivers say their commute is regularly disrupted by accidents, and that is an unacceptable number. Driving too fast, tailgating, cutting off others, you know the rap Boston drivers have.

And what about the drivers who multitask behind the wheel? Hardly a week goes by when I don't see someone come to a halt in the middle of the road while they consult their smartphone, which in cases like these need a new name.

We can blame our traffic problems on the roads and the T and the proliferation of vehicles, and we won't be wrong. But how about the congestion-causing problem that looks back at us out of too many local mirrors?

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