PrepTest 146, Section 1, Question 17
In order to relieve traffic congestion, the city(32 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(12 more words not shown)
- AMost people who(14 more words not shown)
- BThe location of(16 more words not shown)
- CShortly after the(17 more words not shown)
- DAt the same(20 more words not shown)
- EIn Gastner’s downtown(18 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What if the new highway persuaded more people to drive? Someone who used to take a bus or train might now think the highway makes a car commute convenient. The road into town could be faster while the streets at the end become jammed with all the arriving cars.
What we’re looking for
That would explain how an improvement to one part of the trip could leave the whole commute slower. The outcome we need to explain is an increase after the highway opened, not merely the existence of suburban commuters. I'd look for added traffic or a new bottleneck that offsets the benefit of the highway.
Working the answers
- A
This tells us where most downtown workers live, but not why their commute became longer. They could have lived in the suburbs before the highway opened too. The unexplained fact is the change in time after the new road became available.
- B
Being convenient for the largest suburbs could help explain why people use the road. But convenience alone doesn't establish a delay. B doesn't say the highway drew additional drivers, created congestion, or otherwise increased travel time. We would have to add that part ourselves.
- C
New stoplights could add waiting time on the way to the highway, so this is worth considering. A suburban delay would count: we're measuring the commute of people who work downtown, not just the portion they spend inside downtown.
But new lights don't necessarily make a trip slower. They might improve traffic flow at troublesome intersections. C tells us the roads were upgraded without establishing that the change created enough delay to explain the longer commutes. Compare that with E, which directly gives us an increase in congestion.
- D
The repair work happened while the highway was being built. Our puzzle concerns longer commutes after the highway opened. The repairs could have ended by then. Without knowing they continued to cause delays afterward, we can't use them to explain the reported change.
- ECorrect
The roads near the highway became more congested after it opened. That's the bottleneck we were looking for. Even if the highway makes the trip into town easier, getting through the streets near its destination can take longer and increase the overall commute. E doesn't establish exactly why the extra congestion arose, but it supplies a delay that can explain the surprising result.
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