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?
- 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.Cevap
- BThe 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.
- CWhile 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.
- DThe city allocated the funds saved by replacing human toll collectors toward repairing minor potholes on the bridge's surface during overnight hours.
- EDrivers who do not have the electronic transponder installed in their vehicles receive a bill in the mail that includes an administrative fee.
Cevap
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.
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