RE: Metro drives off

[Roger Kirk <rkirk@mail1.videoserver.com>]

 -Mark wrote:

>During the 8 o'clock newscast on WBZ tonight, Metro Network's Jack Hart
>signed off with a long goodbye(to WBZ listeners, staffers,   
sponsors,etc).
>This was Metro's last traffic update on 'BZ. The next traffic update   
will
>come from Shadow(probably sometime around midnite, after the end of
>NCAA game...)

I listened carefully to Shadow at 9:13, 9:23, 9:33, 9:43, 9:53 & 10:03

Except for a reference to "route 93 backed up to route 26 in Medford" and   
a slightly slower delivery, not much has changed since Metro.  For   
example:

At 9:13 they reported that "the state police are clearing away an   
accident on Rte 3 and traffic's backed up from Billerica (that's a really   
long undefined stretch of road) all the way to Drum Hill."

At 9:23 "State Police have finished clearing away the accident on Rte. 3   
and traffic's just starting to move in Chelmsford.

At 9:33 & 9:43 - Not one word about Rte 3.
At 9:53 - Not one word about Rte 3.  (NB: Traffic was Sparse - usual for   
9:53 am)
At 10:03 - Not one word about Rte 3.

My guess:  They rely on sporadic "Cell One Phone Force" call-ins and/or   
State Police radio activity for information - when it ceases, they simply   
"age" their knowledge with a best guess and finally just stop mentioning   
it.

I've listened to Metro Traffic for the past 3 years (while commuting on   
Rte 3) and Rte 3 (a major feeder to 128) gets really spotty coverage.   
 Unless someone calls in or the State Police are involved - it's like it   
doesn't exist.  Does any traffic reporting service really, truly cover   
Rte 3 with any degree of integrity?

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