The beauty of writing a column like this is that I get to say what I think.
Sometimes people don?t agree with me, and that?s fine. I like to get people riled up every once in a while. The week before last I wrote a piece about a company called INRIX that was in the business of predicting traffic and I said that, as somebody who has done real-time traffic reporting for nearly 20 years, I thought it was a bunch of hooey. The company didn?t like that much and let me know it.
Apparently, reports by others that the company has spent $20 millon so far aren?t totally accurate, although INRIX has borrowed about $16 million through venture capital groups. I have learned that the company is taking into account some things such as human response that I think are vital for any such measurement, and I look forward to speaking to one of their lead scientists in the near future.
Pete writes in with an interesting take in response to one reader?s physics lesson: “I read with great interest the comment on Tuesday about teasing drivers who drive to pick up a one-pound package. While I tend to agree with the writer, I believe that our local and state governments are more to blame for our “bad” driving habits. Here is what I mean. To drive from Joppatowne to the Abingdon Wal-Mart takes about 15 minutes, traffic willing. Cost isprobably about a gallon of gas. Public bus takes 15 minutes for the same run. Round trip $2. Total trip can be accomplished in less than an hour.
Here?s the rub. You can?t do it on a weekend or holiday, because those in Harford County who use public transportation cannot travel on those days. The buses don?t run. Nor do they run after 6 p.m. any day. Also, it is quicker to walk from Havre De Grace to Joppatowne. It is a staggering two-and-a-half-hour ride by three buses, 20 minutes by car. I?ve spoken with a number of the drivers about the problem: Their answer, without fail, is that the county doesn?t care ? the buses are federally subsidized. Commuter convenience or service is secondary to federal funds. The only thing public transit does in Harford County is service the district and circuit court. Until government makes public transportation user-friendly and readily available, people will continue to use their cars for things that are better done by public transportation.”
I totally agree with you, Pete. If public transit is going to work, it?s got to be an option on which people can rely. There is an argument to be made that the state can?t afford to run bus routes that no one uses, but it would help if the buses ran more frequently so that riders didn?t have a long wait every time they used them.
Transportation questions? Thoughts, comments, random musings? Do you have an idea how to make Baltimore?s commute a little easier? Write to Steve at [email protected].
