We have about one month, give or take, until the end of 2009. Like many people, when something is near its end, I often start thinking about new beginnings. I circle back and forth and around. I think about what became, what could have been, and what should be.

Take congestion, for example.

According to the Metropolitan Freeway System 2008 Congestion Report, Twin Cities freeways actually saw a substantial drop in congestion, from 20.9% in 2007 to 17.3%. I know that is difficult to swallow when you’re sitting in traffic after a long day’s work, but from the numbers alone it seems like we have been making some headway.

I suppose my worry is that people see this as good news and will become complacent in following years. So it is important to note that according to many experts, the reduction we saw in congestion was actually due to the economy.

Fewer jobs and less money = less traffic.

Like everybody, I would prefer the economy to grow and reduce congestion all at once.  

Will the 2009 Congestion Report show another drop? Will congestion because of the poor economy or because of proactive efforts like eWorkPlace? 

All I know is that we must actively continue working on lowering congestion in 2010. The eWorkPlace program cannot make congestion disappear, but it certainly helps to reduce the problem and raise the benefits. 

P.S. If you’re already taking advantage of our eWorkPlace program, you may find our instructional YouTube channel helpful. There you can learn about how to use the Commute Tool, Tracker, and Survey to help us measure the effects of our efforts.

P.P.S. Someone make me this shirt.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota