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Difficulty: MediumEliminating Paradox-Deepening Traps

The city recently replaced all traditional toll booths on the busy cross-town bridge with a high-speed electronic tolling system, which allows cars to pass without slowing down. Interestingly, even though the total number of cars using the bridge daily has not increased, the average time it takes a vehicle to cross the bridge during rush hour has actually increased since the new system was installed.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy?

  1. By eliminating the staggered pacing previously created by vehicles stopping at the toll booths, the new system causes cars to arrive simultaneously at a narrow two-lane tunnel immediately following the bridge, resulting in severe gridlock.Answer
  2. B
    The new electronic sensors process vehicles much faster than the old booths did, entirely eliminating the miles-long backup that used to form on the highway leading up to the bridge.
  3. C
    While the total number of cars crossing the bridge daily has remained stable, the percentage of drivers who submit formal complaints about the bridge traffic has increased significantly since the installation.
  4. D
    The city allocated the funds saved by replacing human toll collectors toward repairing minor potholes on the bridge's surface during overnight hours.
  5. E
    Drivers who do not have the electronic transponder installed in their vehicles receive a bill in the mail that includes an administrative fee.

Answer

The correct answer explains that the elimination of staggered pacing at the toll booths causes cars to hit a downstream bottleneck (the narrow tunnel) all at once, creating gridlock.
The correct answer resolves the paradox by explaining an unintended consequence of the faster tolling system. Without the toll booths acting as a pacing mechanism, the simultaneous influx of vehicles creates a severe bottleneck at the narrow tunnel just past the bridge. This perfectly explains how the crossing time could increase despite the faster toll system and flat traffic volume.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the apparent discrepancy in the stimulus.
The paradox: A high-speed tolling system was installed and traffic volume remained flat, yet the average time to cross the bridge during rush hour increased.
Understanding the two conflicting facts is required to identify the missing information that reconciles them.
2
Evaluate the options to find a mechanism that bridges the conflicting facts.
The correct answer must show how faster toll processing directly leads to a slower overall crossing time, without contradicting the premises.
A valid resolution introduces a new, unstated fact that allows both premises of the paradox to be true simultaneously.
3
Eliminate paradox-deepening traps and irrelevant statements.
Options explaining how the system is faster or how billing works fail to explain the slow down and are eliminated.
Wrong answers in this question type often make the discrepancy more confusing or focus on irrelevant aspects of the scenario.

Key Concept

Eliminating Paradox-Deepening Traps
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Topics

Eliminating Paradox-Deepening Traps

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