I had a terrible experience the other night with traffic leading up to Christmas Tree Lane. Not the Lane itself -- if anything, that seemed more nicely decorated than ever before -- but with the traffic.
One of my sister-in-law's Christmas wishes was to have someone else drive her and my brother down the Lane, so she could enjoy the sights. After picking up Starbucks and kettle corn in Clovis we embarked on our adventure. We got off Freeway 41 at Shields and immediately hit the traffic, backed up all the way from the entrance to the Lane, at Shields and Van Ness.
I am not kidding -- it took us over an hour and a half to get a half a mile. Driving my zero-emissions Prius, I watched as the miles per gallon on my dashboard gauge crept lower and lower, to depths I had never before seen in this car. I thought about all the cars around us, which likely weren't so low-emission, and also wondered how all the flares put down by Fresno Police Officers doing traffic control (for which I am grateful) contributed to our air quality.
By the time we finally decided to call it a night and head home for dinner (a very late dinner!), we had literally been in the car for over three hours -- and we cut the Lane short, getting off at Ashlan, which is only the halfway point! I could have driven to the coast more quickly.
It seems like there should be some way to smooth out this process, both to reduce its impact on our environment and to make it more enjoyable for families trying to experience a holiday tradition with wriggly, impatient little ones in the car. Any suggestions?
