by Matt

Community Roadways

Traffic is on the rise in all developing countries. More emissions, more congestion and more frustration. So, what is the long-term outlook for the world and traffic?

Let’s narrow it down and ask the question: what is the long-term outlook for our local communities and residential traffic? While the local advertising agency may be getting the big bucks to promote car sales, who is regulating the use of urban and neighborhood road development? Who is keeping up with road repair and general infrastructure to keep our highways and localities safe and road worthy? Continue reading →

by Matt

Five Places to Avoid the Rental Car Counter

We were sitting in the back of an old Volkswagen Bug that had only three seats, dodging and weaving through traffic in the area around Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. My heart was in my throat and my left hand was in a death grip on my boyfriend’s right thigh.

He seemed calm and accepting of our hair-raising adventure – but he had lived in the city for over a decade and knew the traffic scene well. Meanwhile my continuous rounds of gasping in gulps of car exhaust, was making me lightheaded.

If you travel, there is no escaping the diversity of the traffic cultures of the world. Each of the major metropolitan areas I’ve visited seemed to have a different set of road rules from the last. Wishing at times I could employ a travelling crane service to lift me out of the vehicular chaos and confusion, at least I had the good sense – most of the time, not to be the one behind the wheel.

Continue reading →