Why do they say that?

Traffic reports are all over the radio…not just on the 3’s on WBZ…and all over the TV as well. It make sense, because traffic, like weather, affects people directly.

CEO’s who never drive in traffic jams and broadcast consultants who live in another city often don’t get the appeal. One General Manager once told he he was sure that afternoon traffic reports were less important than morning drive traffic reports. I tried to explain that the exact opposite is true.

Suppose you hit an unexpected jam on the way to work and you arrive late. You simply say, “Man, that was a horrible commute this morning!” and someone else will chime in and agree. All you are is late for work, and you’re probably not the only one.

It’s different on the way home. Bad traffic in the way home means you’re late for your kid’s soccer game, late for dinner, late for whatever you do on your own time.

Why can’t they explain it clearly?
Because most traffic reports on radio and TV are generated by Metro Networks, a nationwide service that came into the Boston market in 1982. If you ever wonder why they make some curious or misleading references, here’s why: They have to repeat the same things over and over and come up with rote ways of saying certain things. Example: How many times have you heard someone refer to “the supermarket overpass” on the Pike? (Rick Simonson, the morning traffic anchor on WBZ, has probably said it over 10,000 times.) What’s wrong with that? When they built in Pike extension in the mid-60’s the old Star Market in West Newton was in the path, so Star bought the air rights to build a new supermarket over the highway. Meaning the turnpike passes under the supermarket. So why do reporters call the underpass an overpass? Because someone wrote a format sheet for traffic reports back in 1982 and made a mistake. Years come and go, and new reporters continue to call it an overpass because no one ever updated the format sheet. One other thing…the reason that they sayIt’s back itsay For one thing, the Pike goes under the supermarket in West Newton.