But on the NY State Thruway, it’s still circa 1950, apparently.
How do I know? Because I sat on it for two hours this afternoon, and the AM radio station (1620) that is supposed to provide Thruway traffic information was as opaque and unhelpful as if digital technology had never been.
When I first tuned in, the recorded message said there was a concert (!) and therefore the Weedsport exit was closed. Concert goers, the message said, would be detoured to their destination via the Waterloo exit.
How inane is that? “People are using our highway to attend an event, so we’ve closed an exit so they can’t get to it, which by the way is going to screw up every one else’s itinerary as well.”
Sounds like an idiotic rumor more than useful information.
Then, sometime after 3:00 p.m., the message was changed. Now it informed listeners that there had been an “incident” “off the thruway” which had required the Weedsport exit to be closed; that there were significant delays “in the Syracuse area” as a result; and that motorists were advised to consider alternate routes.
Great job, guys. Not. Because by the time that information was provided, I and thousands of other drivers were well past the last Syracuse exit. No way off, unless you count an illegal U-turn. We were trapped.
How could it possibly have taken the Thruway Authority nearly TWO HOURS to start advising people to take alternate routes? I know there were State Police out there–they were helping to clean up one multi-car fender bender that was triggered, no doubt, by the back-up.
How could the Authority not know what was going on?
Does it have anything to do, I wonder, with the risk of losing toll revenue?
And why wasn’t the radio message a bit more informative? Why didn’t it tell people which exits they should use to avoid that mess? Why not also provide the milepost numbers those exits are near, for motorists who don’t have exit information memorized?
I’m astonished that this was managed so poorly. What a crock.
On a Saturday afternoon in July. What a crock.
Just in case you’re interested, this is from the Thruway’s traffic incident reporting website:
“The New York State Thruway Authority provides the foregoing information as a public service travel planning tool and endeavors to publish the most accurate, up-to-date information available. Because traffic conditions resulting from an incident can rapidly change, the accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed and the Thruway Authority for itself, its officers, employees and agents disclaims any responsibility for reliance thereon.”
So take that!!
Two hours plus isn’t “rapidly.” No way does this get them off the hook.
K,
You’re talking about a GOVERNMENT agency. And you’re surprised at inefficiency??
Tch, tch.
John
You’re right, John. Silly me!
The Thruway exit was closed due to inefficient planning on the part of the concert givers. They were only running 1 entrance gate at the fairgrounds. Hence traffic was backed up from the concert down route 34 and out onto the Thruway. It was Cayuga county sheriff that closed route 34 therefore making it impossible to exit traffic at Weedsport. Let’s place the real blame where it belongs.
Oh! But why did the sheriff do that??? Why did the concert people not know what they were doing?
That’s a question for the sheriff and the concert people. I’m not privy to their information.