Re: 95 & 8 + ID Traffic

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

On the data: I have not yet read the entire DOT report to access the 
average miles driven. No doubt a truck logs several times more miles than 
the average passenger car. The latter  covers typically 12,000 miles a 
year, and probably a truck 3-4 times that. Still, the factor of urban 
congestion (not in Idaho!) across the nation where 70% of the population 
now lives in metro areas  creates more accident-prone conditions than 
does the open road, usually interstates (except in central and northern 
Idaho where 2-lane routes are typical). So you have also to consier the 
logistics behind the data. As for road time, how can one believe that a 
60-66  hour work week for truckers is reasonable? It's a pure function of 
"get the goods there ASAP and with as little turn around time as 
possible", regardless of the physical and mental stress which such 
driving entails. It's the Amrican life style and geographic realities 
that demand this kind of treatment. Wd don't have to have all the goodies 
and material supports we think ought to come on wheels from all corners 
of the country -- the organizational and transportation consequences are 
becoming too comples and danger-prone to continue on this route without 
review and legislated change. Presumably that's what the DOT study wanted 
to find out.  But the trucking assn. (ATA) wants to raise the allowable 
driving time per week even higher. How can this make sense? Last month 
Gov. Whitman of N.J. signed a bill restricting interstate trucks to the 
4-lane divided hiways, because so many were "cheating" on weight 
requirements by taking secondary and rural routes supposedly to "save 
time" (truck industry statement) and to connect from one I-way to 
another, greatly congesting small towns and roads and causing undue 
accidents (this is what the ATA itself reports but refuses to take 
responsibility for)). So all is not well in this industry.  Well, happy 
motoring, anyway! PS: Last spring I spent a month in Europe, and the 
"camions" and "lorries" present jst about the same problems there as here 
-- its endemic to over-industrialized communities. Let's step back and 
reassess where we are going with all this. Amen!   

------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com