traffic jam

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Ants May Solve Our Traffic Jams
Ants May Solve Our
Traffic Jams
new study
Jan 20, 2025 10:36 AM CST

Ants May Solve Our Traffic Jams

They stay in their lanes, may provide a model for autonomous traffic systems

(Newser) - You know that guy who tries to pass everyone on the shoulder of a road during a traffic jam? Even ants would think he's a jerk. A new study suggests that the tiny creatures have a knack for avoiding jam-ups when they're marching along together—and one of...

Uber Rider Stuck for 14 Hours Gets $700 Fare Dropped

Passenger receives a refund after disputing surcharge

(Newser) - Thousands of people were stuck in their cars on I-95 in Virginia this week, but most of them didn't have the added joy of paying by the minute. Andrew Peters summoned Uber to take him from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia to Richmond on Monday night, NBC reports....

He Climbed a Freeway Sign, Then Put on a Show

Environmental activist arrested for his traffic-stopping stunt in Los Angeles

(Newser) - The Los Angeles Times describes him as an "aspiring rapper," but Alexander Dunn apparently aspired to snarl traffic and get arrested instead on Wednesday. The 29-year-old performer, sans shirt but with boxer shorts, ascended an exit sign around 8am on one of the 110 Freeway's southbound offramps,...

10 Best and Worst States for Driving

At least you still have your beautiful beaches, Hawaii

(Newser) - Many people consider Hawaii to be paradise. Those people must not be drivers. The Aloha State places dead last in WalletHub's list of America's best states for driving. The website came by its rankings by looking at "23 key indicators of a positive commute." Those indicators...

This Number Could Spell Trouble on Everest: 371

Nepal hasn't issued this many climbing permits to foreigners since 1953

(Newser) - There are typically just a handful of days each climbing season in which the weather allows climbers to safely ascend Everest, the head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association tells the Washington Post . Which is why pro mountaineers and local officials are worried about the 800 or so climbers expected to...

Massive 3-Day Traffic Jam Kills 12 People

Millions were heading home for Muslim holiday in Indonesia

(Newser) - A dozen people died during a massive three-day, 13-mile traffic jam this week in Indonesia, the Guardian reports. According to the BBC , the jam was caused by construction at an intersection on the island of Java. The construction just so happened to coincide with millions of people heading home to...

Robot Makes a Run for It From Russian Lab

Bad Promobot

(Newser) - Robots are on the loose in Russia—or one was on Wednesday, causing mayhem and a traffic jam. Officials say a robot trained to move around on its own made an escape from a science lab in the city of Perm. The robot, or Promobot—created to market products to...

These Are the 10 Worst Traffic Bottlenecks in the US

And yes, a lot of them are in Los Angeles

(Newser) - Face it, with the holidays approaching we're all going to be stuck in traffic for at least a little bit. But we won't have it nearly as bad as the poor saps trying to get through the following 10 bottlenecks, which were deemed the worst in the country...

What Drivers Tweeted to Suicidal Woman on Bridge

Police in London suburb respond to angry messages

(Newser) - Drivers in a London suburb weren't exactly sympathetic yesterday to a suicidal woman who blocked traffic for two hours as emergency crews tried talking her down, the Independent reports. Amid the M3-motorway delay in Sunbury, Surrey, angry tweets came rolling out:
  • "Tell her to get on with it,
...

Man Causes Traffic Jam, Then Car Crash

Falls asleep at wheel, then crashes truck when he wakes

(Newser) - Here's a spectacular specimen of stupid driving from Atlanta. On Saturday, a man caused a traffic jam after he fell asleep at the wheel, his truck stopped in the middle of the road. A local news truck happened to be passing by, and called 911 (while turning on its...

Fed Up With LA Traffic, CEO Gives $50K to Speed Work

Elon Musk says he'll provide even more of his own money if it will help

(Newser) - Surprise, surprise: Los Angeles again ranked as the city with the worst traffic congestion in America in an annual survey out this week, reports Reuters . Here's a sign of how bad things are, from the LA Times : Entrepreneur Elon Musk —he of Tesla, PayPal, and SpaceX—has forked...

Rich Russians Take Ambulances to Dodge Traffic

Moscow police say they're looking for fakers

(Newser) - Running late for a meeting in Moscow? You can go online and hire an "ambulance taxi" for $200 an hour or more—a savvy way to cut through the city's notorious traffic jams, the National Post reports. According to a Russian paper, police discovered the ruse when they...

Russian Drivers Stuck in 2-Day Traffic Jam

At its worst, backup stretched 125 miles

(Newser) - And you thought your commute was bad: Snow in Russia caused an insane traffic jam this weekend, with thousands of cars and trucks stuck on a major highway yesterday. Some had been stuck for more than two days, as they struggled to keep their engines running and their vehicles heated,...

Traffic Jams: Poison for the Brain

Researchers fear fumes are causing permanent brain damage

(Newser) - This is your brain ... on traffic fumes? A growing body of research suggests that fumes from traffic jams can damage the brain, as well as your lungs. Exposure to exhaust has a negative effect on brain power and emotional stability, and while the evidence is largely circumstantial, researchers tell the...

Wary LA Braces for 'Carmageddon'

405 closure leads to crazy discounts, viral videos, possible flash mobs

(Newser) - LA residents are planning to flee or hunker down this weekend as a 10-mile stretch of the 405, one of the nation's busiest freeways, shuts down for 53 hours. For non-Angelenos: This is a big deal, hence the nicknames "Carmageddon" and "Carpocalypse." Some of the most...

62-Mile Traffic Jam Enters 9th Day

Chinese truckers playing cards, waiting around

(Newser) - A 62-mile-long traffic jam in China enters its ninth day today, and could continue for at least a month. The expressway leading to Beijing has been clogged with thousands of trucks since Aug. 14 due to construction, a jam made worse by accidents and broken-down cars, the Global Times reports....

World's Worst Commutes
 World's Worst Commutes 
Jul 2, 2010 11:31 AM CDT

World's Worst Commutes

Beijing and Mexico City lead the way

(Newser) - IBM surveyed drivers in 20 of the world's biggest cities to find the worst commutes. The bottom 5 (based on a slew of factors including time stuck in traffic and stress) in the commuter pain index are:
  1. Beijing (99 on a scale of 100)
  2. Mexico City (99)
  3. Johannesburg (97)
  4. Moscow
...

Traffic Congestion Dips as Economy Falters

US sees two-year congestion decline for first time ever

(Newser) - Drivers are spending less time stuck in rush-hour traffic for a second straight year, the first-ever 2-year decline in congestion. Blame high gas prices and the economic downturn, which have forced many Americans to change how they commute. In individual cities, Los Angeles traffic is getting better but is still...

NYC to Kick Cars Off Broadway
 NYC to Kick Cars Off Broadway 
Feb 26, 2009 4:00 PM CST

NYC to Kick Cars Off Broadway

Mayor unveils pedestrian-friendly midtown makeover

(Newser) - New York is turning the Great White Way into the Great Walk Way, the New York Times reports. Mayor Bloomberg announced plans yesterday to turn five blocks of Broadway around Times Square into a pedestrian zone complete with tables and landscaping starting this May. City officials say the plan will...

Mac's Brother Calls 911 Over Traffic Troubles

'(Bleep) you!' Joe McCain replies to operator's query

(Newser) - Power corrupts, especially if you're stuck in traffic. A man believed to be John McCain’s brother called 911 to complain about being caught in gridlock in suburban Washington, WJLA-TV reports. "Sir, are you calling 911 to complain about traffic?" asks the operator on the tape. After a pause,...

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