The last two times I had to go to Indianapolis (50 mi away), it was a traffic nightmare. Interstates, streets, avenues--it didn't matter. Curb to curb cars and trucks. I couldn't wait to get out of the big city. Heck, even my small town is congested. Something needs to be done.

Here are my suggestions.

Raise gasoline taxes a buck a gallon. No, I would hate paying more at the pump, but already many of our tax dollars goes to energy subsidies and car company bailouts. Those that drive should pay for the priviledge. Raising mpgs isn't going to decrease the number of vehicles on the roadways--just the opposite.

Do like London and other major cities and charge an exhorbitant fee for entering and driving in a major city. That has really helped congestion in many places.

If we're going to subsidize anything, let it be mass transit. Of course, we have to make driving a car so prohibitive, people are forced to take a train or bus. "Diamond lanes" are a joke in most urban "freeways". Few commuters share rides.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. For years, we have been politely encouraged to "combine trips, share rides, use public transportation, etc. It hasn't worked. Somebody needs to get tough. (This is easy for me to say--a person who lives in a rural setting and doesn't drive that much!)