"Live from the roads of New Castle County..."

[WTUX]

I had a real life example this week of just how valuable the traffic reports are.

Thursday, I had to be back in Delaware by 4pm to take wife and self to the doctor. At 11:42, KYW let me know about the fuel tanker that had overturned on I-95 SB. It was completely shut down and ALL traffic had to exit. Their web site gave me the directions on how to get to Delaware. I left work at noon instead of 2pm. Its a good thing too. I rolled into my driveway at 4:05. A 50 minute drive became 4 hours!

I had no idea whatsoever how to get to Delaware without those instructions. And without the traffic report I would have had a major problem as the appointment was a medical necessity for my wife.

Yes, I have had the experience of the report of a problem at least an hour after it had ceased to exist. But when faced with tight deadlines, traffic reports are a real lifesaver.

Notice I do not mention WDEL or WSTW. While Robin Bryson does a great job, when I heard him doing a report on WSTW while waiting at the doctor's office, I did not hear him mention the Ridley Park disaster. And given the large number of Delawareans who work in that area and were affected by the mess, he should have mentioned the effect it had on Delaware's portion of I-95, which was a big mess at that time.

 

[DERadio]

Actually, the tanker accident was already on the air on WDEL before noon, and posted on their website. They also had live traffic updates through the afternoon, and announced that the tanker was off loaded before 2:00. Further updates all began with the I-95 mess.

 

[Al Johnson]

Traffic problems of that magnitude are hard to miss. The problem is the more common, smaller magnitude tie-ups. Those happen all the time and the traffic services are not always able to provide timely information.

Metro Networks (Shadow Traffic and Traffax), which provides traffic reports for KYW and most other Philadelphia radio stations (excluding Clear Channel stations, Greater Media and WXPN) has the best resources and provides the best coverage in the region. The TV stations except Fox take Traffic.com. The quality of information is not nearly as good but the maps and graphics are better.

Robin Bryson is no longer on the WDEL website (two other guys are).

 

[MikefromDelaware]

I was listening to WHYY-FM part of the day, and yes, their traffic reports, I believe it's Shadow traffic, the reporter Mary Cantell (afternoons) also mentioned the tanker spill and suggested drivers going south on I-95 take the various Delaware River bridges to Jersey and take I-295 south to the Delaware Memorial Bridges and continue south on I-95 from there.

I had WRTI at 107.7 (the Wilmington translator) on also for an earlier part of the day and don't remember any traffic reports (after morning drive). I believe they too are using Shadow traffic during morning and evening drive like WHYY.

Speaking of traffic reports, Delmarva's WXCY from Havre de Grace MD (a Wilmington rimshot station) does traffic reports for both Wilmington and Baltimore (they don't use the WDEL/WSTW traffic reporters though). Of course they may get their Wilmington traffic info from Robin and crew.