When the BGS isn't enough

[Scott5114]

I assume that they get the information from either call-in tips or listening to police scanners.

[SectorZ]

This might better go to another thread, but I wonder where traffic reporters get their info. I would assume they have some sort of map they look at. Are they consciously substituting what people call roads for what they see written? Or do they have special made maps?

They get their info from the same place any reporter who's new to an area gets it...from the old-timers who've been doing the same job before.  They have to learn the geography, the place names and their peculiar pronunciations, and the common names applied to the roads...the names people actually know, not what's printed on some map or official document.

Ever since the stretch of I-93 between the I-95 junction in Canton and the MA-3 junction in Braintree lost the 128 designation, I have yet to hear any traffic reporter refer to it by any name other than 128.  If they had looked on a map or an official document, they wouldn't keep making the reference, but they do.

I watch Fox 25 news in the morning, and it's common for them to say that backups are starting near Exit 6 on 128 South. Now this of course the exit for Route 37 on I-93N in Braintree.

There was a while where they were switching between different reporters for the traffic each day, and there was one who would actually call that segment I-93. The rest say 128.

Now they have a new traffic reporter who looks like a hooker and doesn't seem to know the roads at all. She recently reported on an accident on I-95 east at Exit 20.

Glad I'm not the only one wondering what the deal is with the traffic reporter they just hired, or why they even need her. That station has fired half their staff yet hired her. If they think people like her because she's good looking, well, they failed at that.

[roadman]

This might better go to another thread, but I wonder where traffic reporters get their info. I would assume they have some sort of map they look at. Are they consciously substituting what people call roads for what they see written? Or do they have special made maps?

They get their info from the same place any reporter who's new to an area gets it...from the old-timers who've been doing the same job before.  They have to learn the geography, the place names and their peculiar pronunciations, and the common names applied to the roads...the names people actually know, not what's printed on some map or official document.

Ever since the stretch of I-93 between the I-95 junction in Canton and the MA-3 junction in Braintree lost the 128 designation, I have yet to hear any traffic reporter refer to it by any name other than 128.  If they had looked on a map or an official document, they wouldn't keep making the reference, but they do.

I watch Fox 25 news in the morning, and it's common for them to say that backups are starting near Exit 6 on 128 South. Now this of course the exit for Route 37 on I-93N in Braintree.

There was a while where they were switching between different reporters for the traffic each day, and there was one who would actually call that segment I-93. The rest say 128.

Now they have a new traffic reporter who looks like a hooker and doesn't seem to know the roads at all. She recently reported on an accident on I-95 east at Exit 20.

Glad I'm not the only one wondering what the deal is with the traffic reporter they just hired, or why they even need her. That station has fired half their staff yet hired her. If they think people like her because she's good looking, well, they failed at that.

She's probably not a Fox employee, but works for MetroTraffic/SmartRoutes, which is the principal traffic reporting group for the Boston area.  Despite the 'branding' for individual stations and sponsors (like WBZ's 'Mahpre Insurance' copter) in the reports, all Boston media contract with MetroTraffic/SmartRoutes.

[spooky]

This might better go to another thread, but I wonder where traffic reporters get their info. I would assume they have some sort of map they look at. Are they consciously substituting what people call roads for what they see written? Or do they have special made maps?

They get their info from the same place any reporter who's new to an area gets it...from the old-timers who've been doing the same job before.  They have to learn the geography, the place names and their peculiar pronunciations, and the common names applied to the roads...the names people actually know, not what's printed on some map or official document.

Ever since the stretch of I-93 between the I-95 junction in Canton and the MA-3 junction in Braintree lost the 128 designation, I have yet to hear any traffic reporter refer to it by any name other than 128.  If they had looked on a map or an official document, they wouldn't keep making the reference, but they do.

I watch Fox 25 news in the morning, and it's common for them to say that backups are starting near Exit 6 on 128 South. Now this of course the exit for Route 37 on I-93N in Braintree.

There was a while where they were switching between different reporters for the traffic each day, and there was one who would actually call that segment I-93. The rest say 128.

Now they have a new traffic reporter who looks like a hooker and doesn't seem to know the roads at all. She recently reported on an accident on I-95 east at Exit 20.

Glad I'm not the only one wondering what the deal is with the traffic reporter they just hired, or why they even need her. That station has fired half their staff yet hired her. If they think people like her because she's good looking, well, they failed at that.

She's probably not a Fox employee, but works for MetroTraffic/SmartRoutes, which is the principal traffic reporting group for the Boston area.  Despite the 'branding' for individual stations and sponsors (like WBZ's 'Mahpre Insurance' copter) in the reports, all Boston media contract with MetroTraffic/SmartRoutes.

This isn't one of those "eye in the sky" reports, it's an actual person in the studio. I imagine she is a Fox 25 employee, just repeating traffic information she gets from elsewhere.

[SectorZ]

This might better go to another thread, but I wonder where traffic reporters get their info. I would assume they have some sort of map they look at. Are they consciously substituting what people call roads for what they see written? Or do they have special made maps?

They get their info from the same place any reporter who's new to an area gets it...from the old-timers who've been doing the same job before.  They have to learn the geography, the place names and their peculiar pronunciations, and the common names applied to the roads...the names people actually know, not what's printed on some map or official document.

Ever since the stretch of I-93 between the I-95 junction in Canton and the MA-3 junction in Braintree lost the 128 designation, I have yet to hear any traffic reporter refer to it by any name other than 128.  If they had looked on a map or an official document, they wouldn't keep making the reference, but they do.

I watch Fox 25 news in the morning, and it's common for them to say that backups are starting near Exit 6 on 128 South. Now this of course the exit for Route 37 on I-93N in Braintree.

There was a while where they were switching between different reporters for the traffic each day, and there was one who would actually call that segment I-93. The rest say 128.

Now they have a new traffic reporter who looks like a hooker and doesn't seem to know the roads at all. She recently reported on an accident on I-95 east at Exit 20.

Glad I'm not the only one wondering what the deal is with the traffic reporter they just hired, or why they even need her. That station has fired half their staff yet hired her. If they think people like her because she's good looking, well, they failed at that.

She's probably not a Fox employee, but works for MetroTraffic/SmartRoutes, which is the principal traffic reporting group for the Boston area.  Despite the 'branding' for individual stations and sponsors (like WBZ's 'Mahpre Insurance' copter) in the reports, all Boston media contract with MetroTraffic/SmartRoutes.

This isn't one of those "eye in the sky" reports, it's an actual person in the studio. I imagine she is a Fox 25 employee, just repeating traffic information she gets from elsewhere.

http://www.newenglandone.com/news/local-news/item/834-julie-grauert-joining-fox-25-as-morning-traffic-reporter.html

This indicates she is a Fox 25 employee, and has actual reporting experience rather than one of the Metro people.