Traffic jams: bad for basically everything, including your health
Pollution levels inside cars can get up to 40 percent higher while in traffic jams.

Colorado Boulevard shimmers under the heat on a Saturday afternoon. Not packed, still vexing. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Pollution levels inside cars can getĀ up to 40 percent higher while in traffic jams, according to a new study from the University of Surrey.Ā Add it to theĀ well-documented case thatĀ traffic is bad for your health.Ā
How bad is Denver relatively? Well,Ā the combined Denver/Aurora/Boulder āurbanized areaā ranked about 19th worst among U.S. metro areas for congestion in 2014, according to the most recent report from the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
That meansĀ 16 percent of all the car trips we took in 2014 were madeĀ in congested conditions. That’s expected to increase to 28 percent by 2040.
The report from the University of Surrey has some Panic Room-style tips to minimize your exposure to pollutants in traffic: Keep windows shut, turn off the fan and try to keep some distance between you and the car in front of you.
But I prefer the don’t-drive method.

16th Street Mall continues slow roll toward reconstruction with a builder on board

Wealthier and whiter neighborhoods in Denver have higher vaccinations rates

Things to do in Denver this weekend without spreading the coronavirus, Jan. 22-24

Happy 150th birthday, Dr. Justina Ford! Here’s how to celebrate.

How Wonderbound has kept dancing through the pandemic

Denver law enforcement officials have left the group tasked with transforming Denver law enforcement

Things to do to avoid downtown on Inauguration Day

Are you one of the many Denverites walking your stress away?

Reasons we might be seeing more bald eagles in Denver: Rachel Carson, COVID-19, us


This year’s XicanIndie FilmFest at Su Teatro is now accepting submissions

No, you can’t openly carry a firearm in Denver, and other things you should know about the city’s gun laws

Denver’s new shared bike and scooter system is picking up steam. Here’s what we know.

Senator John Hickenlooper was gifted a “Cardboard Cory” Gardner

How local, state and federal authorities are planning for Inauguration Day in Denver

Some Cap Hill residents are bracing for right-wing riots, while others say next week won’t be worse than what they’ve seen on Colfax

Things to do in Denver this weekend without spreading the coronavirus, Jan. 15-17

Less than 4 percent of Denverites have received an initial COVID-19 vaccine dose

Denver has given businesses and nonprofits $14 million in COVID-19 relief money
