"When we saw these numbers, we were pretty shocked, actually," Grannan said. "We think there is this coming tidal wave, if you will, of a public policy and safety issue."
One encouraging result in the survey is that 85 percent of drivers said they would refrain from text-messaging while driving if it were illegal. Support for a ban increases with age, reaching the 90 percent level among drivers over 60. Even as timid a creature as a Maryland legislator could support such a measure without fear of voter retribution.
In the absence of legislation, we can only hope DWT enthusiasts will voluntarily adopt technology such as that marketed by vlingo. Talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel is still a distraction, but as Grannan noted, it has to be safer than tapping on keys.
"If they're going to do it, I'd rather that they do it with the power of their voice," he said.
On the right route
A remarkable document landed in my e-mail last week bearing the thrilling title of "Analysis of and Proposed Modifications to the Bus Route Changes to Take Effect in 2008." Bet you can't wait to read it.
The analysis was prepared by the Transit Riders Action Council of Metropolitan Baltimore, an aggressive advocacy group that serves as a watchdog over the Maryland Transit Administration.
Whenever the MTA proposes route changes, you can count on TRAC to do a painstaking analysis. Often, the result is a withering critique of the transit agency's plans to muck about with the buses.
This time, however, TRAC loves the eight route changes proposed for implementation this year. The pit bull of local transit is wagging its tail. (You can see the full report at www.getontrac.org.)
"Since the formation of the Transit Riders Action Council of Metropolitan Baltimore (TRAC), this is the first set of bus changes that the MTA has proposed in which every single one of the MTA's proposed changes would, in our view, lead to better service than now exists. Clearly, the MTA has been paying attention to types of concerns voiced by bus riders over the last several years," the executive summary reads. "We at TRAC congratulate the MTA and its Department of Service Development for the best set of changes that TRAC has seen coming out of MTA."
TRAC goes on to praise not just the results but the process that brought them about.
"For the first time, the MTA has shown a willingness to modify their proposals prior to the public hearings based solely upon public input at community meetings. Furthermore, MTA has demonstrated an interest in public opinion actually shaping proposals rather than just being a backstop to prevent the implementation of bad proposals."
I called Ed Cohen, the outgoing president of TRAC, to make sure the report wasn't dealing with some other MTA in a parallel universe. Cohen, who knows local transit systems as well as anyone, said he's "never seen the MTA behave this way" in his decades of dealing with the agency. He gives much of the credit to Katherine Daley, who was recruited from Dallas Area Rapid Transit in December as director of service development.
"This woman is a find. She understands transit. She's making changes that make sense," he said.
It's about time somebody did.
gettingthere@baltsun.com
