In addition to its economic costs, traffic also makes us miserable and sick. According to Gallup, "American workers with lengthy commutes are more likely to report a range of adverse physical and emotional conditions." Americans with longer commutes say they're more stressed out, have more back pain and are more likely to have been diagnosed with high cholesterol or to be obese. A 2012 study found "that the farther people commute by vehicle, the higher their blood pressure and body mass index is likely to be."
[See a collection of political cartoons on gas prices.]
Though it would have been little help to the people of Atlanta, as trains and buses get just as bogged down in the snow as cars, the country in general would benefit from a hefty dose of public transit to alleviate some of its traffic problems. Our rail systems are a joke compared to those in the rest of the world, whole most federal transportation money gets spent on highways, thus encouraging even more car use. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that deficient public transit systems will cost the U.S. economy $570 billion in 2020 and $1 trillion in 2040, if current funding trends hold. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionally affected by these lousy transit systems.