Can ‘GoodToGo!’ Decrease Congestion on Roads in Seattle?

Introduction

In most cases, individuals tend to believe that congestion is a thing that occurs on roads stretch only occurring when the rate of motors exceeds the general capacity of the roads which forces everyone to engage in the going and stopping movements. However, on the contemporary roads, there are likely to be more causes than a high number of cars which include poor intersections timing signals, merging of lanes and functionality of roads traffic controls (Falcocchio & Levinson, 2015). Traffic congestion is a major challenge for the flow of traffic particularly in the urban settings which in turn creates complexity in the daily existence in the locations. Traffic congestion lowers the quality of living by stealing most of the road user’s time that would instead be utilized in productive activities to grow the economy. Traffic congestion has been a primary issue for decades now in Seattle and some of the implemented policies have failed to lower the occurrence. Traffic congestion is a critical social as well as economic issue in the contemporary society (Bull, 2003). The issue cannot just be solved through the use of only physical constructions such as increasing the capacity of roads, creating bridges increased authority controls.  There is a great necessity of building a technological system for the management of transportation that can be utilized in controlling the issue. Traffic controls systems such as control systems hold direct on the issues that are derived by congestion (Gillen & Levinson, 2004). These systems can be useful in improving the general flow of traffic and lowering motors congestion throughout. GoToGo pass as a form of technological adoption can be useful in assisting a significant number of drivers to pass while easing congestion. This study will seek to establish how "GoodToGo pass’’ tolls can be set to achieve efficiency in decreasing congestion on roads in Seattle by at least 50 percent.

Literature Review

Congestion is a primary transportation issue that has been discussed by most studies and solutions proposed. However, most of the proposed solutions normally fail based on the poor implementation and the fact that the policy implementers mostly focuses on building larger roads capacity thus ignoring some of the primary causes such as inadequate signals (OECD, 2007). Traffic congestion is derived from the imbalance of both demand and the supply of road spaces but the projections for creating the better way out of congestion are limited. In addition, a number of the congestion reduction approaches remains ineffective over time while some approaches only offer short-run relief (Bullinger, 2009). GoToGo is a strategy that offers a long-term relief. In that, it cannot be doubted that human drivers, in general, are responsible for enhancing the worsening of traffic. Each time there is a lane change, slow drive or any form of unpredictable erratic this sets off a reaction chain that is felt within the traffic lane. Thus the use of GoToGo may be essential in maintaining consistency thus reducing the errors involved. In addition, this strategy will be useful in creating more road capacity and easing traffic (Gillen & Levinson, 2004). The application of GoodToGo tolls in Seattle as a system of control is a major approach to remedying traffic issues through the application of programming and technology through the use of tolls. The systems are effective because they can be utilized in the control of movement thus growing the capacity of the roads to accommodate more motors.

Methodology

The research will utilize a descriptive research design which will be incorporating both a qualitative as well as quantitative research. A study design can be described as the general plan that is structural developed with the objective of answering all the research queries and objective. Research Methodology, on the other hand, is a primary study of investigating and presenting answers to the study (Vogt, Gardner & Haeffele, 2012).This study will seek to answer on how GoodTOGo tolls can be utilized in controlling traffic in Seattle. The descriptive design will be incorporated into a random method of sampling to establish the effectiveness of GoodToGo tolls and how best they can be implemented within Seattle in lowering the level of traffic congestion by at least 50 percent.

Research Method

The simple random approach will be utilized for both qualitative and secondary procedures. The qualitative research that will be utilized in the study will incorporate the use of structured interviews as well as questionnaires. Physical and online individual interviews will be conducted based on the flexibility and the convenience of the respondents. The questionnaires will be containing primarily 15 queries which will be both closed and open-ended. This will be useful in creating maximum information.  Random sampling will be utilized in ensuring biases does not occur while selecting the sample populace. Random sampling is important in the research because the strategy seeks to ensure that the generated findings from the populace are both reliable as well as truthful so that efficiency can be utilized (Vogt, Gardner & Haeffele, 2012). On the other hand, quantitative data will be acquired from secondary sources such as peer-reviewed articles, books as well as journals.

Research Strategy

The research will utilize an inductive approach in accomplishing its purpose.  Based on the approach researchers starts the study through making observations which are then utilized in the production of generalized concepts as well as conclusions that are derived from the research. The approach was selected because it considers the general context where the effort of the research is active and it is additionally suitable for a reduced sample utilized in qualitative research (Tavakoli, 2013). The approach will seek to develop fresh information while comparing it with the existing one that will be acquired through a systematic review of some studies. The approach will be useful in creating fresh findings that will be supporting the adoption of technological control systems in controlling traffic in general.  However, the approach is characterized with several weaknesses because it generates generalized concepts as well as conclusions on the basis of a few observations which leads to the study’s reliability being questioned.

Data Collection Tools and Methods

The study will utilize in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires in collecting primary data. The will seek to identify the thoughts, experiences as well as the opinions of the respondents. Individual interviews are beneficial because they increase the general contact amid the researcher and the respondents thus eliminating any chances and the rate of the non-responsive level. In additional, the use of interviews, as well as descriptive questionnaires, is more flexible as it creates more room for generating conclusions that were not primarily anticipated in regard to the subject. This additionally helps in establishing the existing assumptions and understanding how they can be overcome. However, the use of these collection tools if not appropriately applied can result in a deviation from initially specified aims as well as objectives. The questionnaire will be utilized as the guide to the researcher in the process of carrying out the interviews in ensuring that the objectives are fully satisfied and create additional ideas and questions in the process (Tavakoli, 2013).

Sampling

Persuasive sampling will be utilized in the selection of a suitable sample populace. This method will be applied through the use of a non-probability sampling strategy that the sample population is selected on the grounds of the experience, knowledge as well as expertise regarding the study’s subject. In this study, the sample population will be selected on the grounds of relationships as well as expertise regarding the subject. Sufficient as well as relevant experience in regard to traffic congestion in Seattle was a primary necessity. In this context, the study seeks to utilize at least seek road users as well as traffic controllers which will be 15 and 5 people respectively.

Data Analysis

Primary acquired data will primarily be analyzed using content analysis methodology. The primary benefit of the method is that it permits the reduction and the simplification of the acquired data while still generating results that can be evaluated with the use of quantitative methods. In addition, this method offers the general capability for the researchers in structuring the acquired data in a manner that satisfies the study’s purpose.

Ethical Considerations

The current research is a subject to a number of ethical issues and therefore this issues must be accounted for. All the selected respondents will report with their filled acceptance as well as signed consent forms during interviews and prior to the acquiring of questionnaires.  Through the signed consent, this will offer briefs of what the study will mainly entail. The objective of the consent form is to ensure that the respondents understand that their responses will be treated as confidential and that they are free to make their withdrawal at any given period without giving any reason. In addition, the research is a voluntary one and only for scholarly use and their findings will not be utilized for any commercial operation and confidentiality will be maintained since the researcher will analyze the data personally.

Potential Challenges

The primary anticipated challenge in carrying out the study includes respondents withdrawal based on the fear of exposing some of the challenges that may expose the government or the policy developers. In addition, most of the people may not be willing to offer their actual experiences and thoughts based on the fear that their confidentiality will not be maintained. In this context, the sample size, as well as the respondent's size, may be low which may affect efficiency, accurateness as well as reliability (Lim, 2013). A larger sample populace would be essential in the research because it is normally effective in the enhancement of the research reliability. This would additionally increase the amount of information that is gathered from the study thus creating more grounds to analyses and create a conclusion to offer support and reflect the thesis of the research. In addition, since the study will mainly rely on qualitative research this may lower the capability of the research in measuring the examined issues.

The increase of traffic congestion in Seattle even after the implementation of several solutions may additionally be influenced by several issues which may not be accounted through primary research. Despite the fact that the study will utilize secondary sources in supporting and justifying a number of claims that are generated through the use of primary sources this may prove to be inadequate. This may affect and accuracy of the acquired data which will ultimately affect the ability of the research to be focused on answering the research query. Funds and time may be additional challenges since the study is limited by time and the residents may not be flexible to fill the questionnaires and participate in interviews with the given periods (Lim, 2013). This will require a significant amount of money in printing the papers as well as communicating often with the respondents to ensure that the objective of the study is not altered. Moreover, the research topic is broad in a way and therefore this will, therefore, require the researcher to utilize more time in narrowing, summarizing as well as analyzing the provided information to form a uniform pattern and adequately answer the study query.

Conclusion

In summary, traffic congestion does not only signify economically effects but also social. In Seattle, it is apparent that some of the previously implemented measures in lowering the rate of congestion have failed. GoToGo may be essential in creating more road capacity by permitting some of the vehicles to pass. Traffic congestion depresses the quality of living by stealing most of the road user’s time that would instead be utilized in creative activities to grow the economy. Traffic congestion has been a primary issue for decades now in Seattle and some of the applied policies have failed to lower the occurrence. Traffic congestion is a dangerous social as well as economic issue in the contemporary society. The issue cannot just be solved through the use of only physical buildings such as cumulative the capacity of roads, creating bridges increased authority controls.

Research Findings Usefulness

Based on the study’s analysis it is apparent that the research can be utilized by policy developers in creating technological as well as innovative solutions to the persisting issue in regard to traffic congestion in Seattle. In the past more of physical as well as structural solutions have been implemented in solving the issue but none has been effective. Through establishing the general causes of traffic congestion to be mainly driven by other factors in exclusion of road capacities and the number of roads that can be accommodated by the road this will create better grounds to effectively apply the knowledge in creating more effective solutions. The research will additionally create increased understanding in regard to the effectiveness of traffic control system and how they should be set for efficiency to be achieved both in the short and the extensive run. The possible benefits of utilizing the findings of the research are that it will develop more grounds through which the complexity of the issue can be understood. This can help in understanding the negative implications that have mainly been resulted by traffic congestion both on the economy as well as socially. On the other hand, the failure to use the findings of the research would promote the utilization of more physical solutions such as expanding roads and creating motorways and roads divisions. The findings can thus be utilized in obtaining economic as well as social benefits through reducing stress and asserting the utilization of time in economic benefits.

 

References

Bull, A. (2003). Traffic congestion: The problem and how to deal with it. Santiago, Chile: United Nations, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean [u.a.

Bullinger, H.-J. (2009). Technology guide: Principles - applications - trends. Dordrecht: Springer.

Falcocchio, J. C., & Levinson, H. S. (2015). Road traffic congestion: A concise guide. Springer.

Gillen, D. W., & Levinson, D. M. (2004). Assessing the benefits and costs of ITS. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Lim, W. M. (2013). Research methodology: A toolkit of sampling and data analysis techniques for quantitative research. Place of publication not identified: Grin Verlag.

OECD. (2007). Managing urban traffic congestion. (Managing urban traffic congestion.) Paris: OECD.

Tavakoli, H. (2013). A dictionary of research methodology and statistics in applied linguistics. Tehran: Rahnamā.

Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design. New York: Guilford Press.