Is Uncontrolled Immigration the Cause of Traffic Congestion?

About 6 months ago, I came up with a random theory. I was able to credibly support my theory with dry facts and logical reasoning, but there was no way I could ever prove it.

Or so I thought.

Today, my theory was empirically proven by forces beyond my control.

Here's the question that begat my theory:

Is our worsening traffic caused in large part by illegal immigration?

Today was the "Day Without Immigrants". Illegal immigrants by the millions didn't go to work and school today. They slept in and only roused themselves to attend rallies across the country.

According to this article about demonstrations in Los Angeles, "Stores in the areas of the march remained shut as immigrants, including some Asians and Muslims, stayed away from work, while the city's usually snarled freeway system was almost free of traffic."

This article from a New Jersey paper described similar results: "In Bound Brook, the traffic was noticeably down and in Trenton, illegal immigrants waved U.S. flags during the day of planned work stoppages, boycotts and rallies."

Here are the facts and line of reasoning in support of my theory:

1) Over the past 10 years, traffic has gotten progressively worse in most major U.S. cities.

2) Traffic congestion is caused by increased population growth.

3) Where are these people coming from? Has there been another "baby boom"?

4) The number of babies women have to have in their lifetimes to maintain a population is 2.1 We'll call this the “replacement birth rate.”

5) Since 1972, the U.S. birth rate has been at or less than the replacement rate (the birth rate in the U.S. in 2000 was 2.03). I think it's safe to assume this number is roughly the same for 2006.

6) Thus, population growth in the U.S. is not due to an internal baby boom.

7) If there hasn't been an explosion of births, could population growth in cities be explained by people moving from less-populated areas of the country to the "big city"?

8) According to this map from the U.S. Census Bureau, every state in the U.S. experienced population growth from 1990 to 2000. The only place that didn’t grow was the District of Columbia. Again, I think it’s safe to assume this trend has continued from 2000 to 2006.

9) Thus, population growth is not caused by internal migration from one state to another.

10) The consensus is that there are 11 million illegal aliens in the United States. Some people think that estimate is too low, and the number is around 20 to 25 million.

11) There are roughly 300 million people in the United States.

12) 11 million is 3.6% of 300 million.

13) 25 million is 8.3% of 300 million.

14) If the majority of illegal immigrants live in urban areas, then the number of immigrants as a percentage of the population increases.

15) Let’s say this propensity to congregate in urban areas causes the illegal immigrant population in cities to be double that of the rest of the country.

16) That means, in urban areas, somewhere between 7.2% and 16.6% of urban populations are illegal aliens.

So the next time you’re stuck in traffic, look around and ask yourself:

“How much would traffic be improved if there were no illegal immigrants in our country?”

Now we know.

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My previous posts on immigration:

Ugly Immigration Protest Photos

And Now for the Main Event - U.S. Citizens vs. Illegal Immigrants

Webster's Dictionary Confirms That Illegal Immigrants Are Criminals

By Coming Here, Illegal Immigrants Ensure Mexican Poverty

Did Bill Clinton Really Create a Budget Surplus? Part 1 (Yeah, I know. This one really isn't about immigration, but it's a good post!)

The Catholic Church and Illegal Immigration

U.S. Immigration Policy or How to Save a Sinking Ship

More on the Los Angeles Demonstrations

Anybody Ever Hear of Aztlan?

The Silent Invasion

Foreign Nationals Wield Influence Over U.S. Government

The U.S. Was Built on LEGAL Immigration