The voluntary "no drive" day to reduce ozone levels is a joke.
The way to reduce auto emissions is to properly time the traffic lights.There is a general agreement between scientists and air-quality experts that the major contributions to poor air quality is the idling internal combustion engine. The absurd timing of traffic lights in Salt Lake City causes thousands of cars to idle at lights every day. The light frustration also causes drivers to speed and take chances scooting through intersections on a yellow caution light.
When your light turns green and the light one block ahead turns red at the same time, something is radically wrong.
I have lived in some of the nation's largest cities - New York City; Washington D.C.; Dallas; Los Angeles and other lesser cities. Salt Lake lights appear to do everything possible to stall traffic.
There have been several harebrained ideas put forth to relieve congestion on 1300 East. The answer is simple - time the lights so traffic can move.
Charles H. Dick
Salt Lake City