Cars exist in two planes. One plane of existence is the sales pitch: a rugged luxury SUV plowing through a large puddle and offroading through a somehow empty park of pristine valleys and majestic mountains. Then there’s reality: cars in close proximity to thousands of other cars, generating traffic jams, planet-threatening pollution, and no shortage of grouchy passengers. That’s been the reality on full display during recent weekends with the arrival of cherry blossom season.
Buses were operating nearly an hour behind schedule through the University of Washington last weekend as motorists descended in mass on the campus to see cherry blossoms in bloom. While the traffic jam snarled traffic, agencies and officials were slow to react to encourage people to take transit or bike to campus in order to alleviate the situation.
