Best stations for traffic reporting? (San Antonio, Austin: military, moving, castle) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

Tropical Trouble · 01-08-2009, 06:48 PM

(OP #1) I usually listen to Sirius/XM but when I'm sitting on the freeway stuck in traffic and want to know why, I'll switch over to local radio and hunt for a traffic report. It'll be 8:00 in the morning and I can't find traffic reporting anywhere. I'm completely unfamiliar with San Antonio radio stations so tell me which are the best for regular traffic reports (at least every 10 minutes during rush hour). I listen to country, pop or news so please no recommendations for stations that play rap or classical. Thanks.

(OP #2) I usually listen to Sirius, but when I'm sitting on I-35 in the morning, not moving, I'd like to know why. I'll switch over to the radio and try various stations but it can be a half hour and I won't hear a traffic report. I've tried just picking one and leaving it there, but I'll arrive at work (late) before a traffic report comes on. Are there any stations that give traffic reports at least every 10 minutes during rush hour? I prefer to listen to country or pop, but will listen to a news channel if I'm guaranteed to get my traffic update.

JNA · 01-08-2009, 08:30 PM

I think a lot of AM stations will have traffic reports, such as WOAI 1200.

txhawk36 · 01-08-2009, 08:43 PM

I like the traffic report on I think it's 103.5 ... she has some quirky name ... kinda funny considering I am sitting in Austin traffic listening to San Antonio traffic reports!!!!

sapphire · 01-09-2009, 07:30 AM

I've been sitting in traffic--either a big wreck or just a lot of cars.....with WOAI on, during their traffic reports, and heard not a peep about the location I happened to be in. I've also heard reports of heavy traffic, and happened to be in that area, and it's clear for miles. I don't think they are in real time.

Not sure if there is good traffic reporting here.

Bo · 01-09-2009, 07:36 AM

During rush hours, WOAI has traffic reports on the 10s and KTSA has them on the 5s.

I've had similar disappointments to those sapphire mentions. It seems like both of them regularly pass along stale information. Many is the time they've told me of an accident at some intersection, yet I see no accident when I get to that spot. IMO, there isn't a good local source for traffic info.

goodmanm · 01-09-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowie

IMO, there isn't a good local source for traffic info.

I would second that.

One morning there was a report of an accident at 1604@NW Military. About a minute later I got to the intersection - no accident. The accident was actually between military and wiseman. I called the radio station to let them know and their response was "we report what the police tell us", apparently they just list the closest major intersection. And they didn't correct their reporting to boot. IMHO less than useful information. If you're listening to the radio to plan your commute you need the best info. The stations in D.C. have been the best I've seen for reporting. They even go so far as giving you options getting around the incident.

Hoot Owl · 01-09-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowie

IMO, there isn't a good local source for traffic info.

+1

I cannot count the number of times they've failed to report major problems.

TexHwyMan · 01-09-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapphire

Not sure if there is good traffic reporting here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodmanm

I would second that.

Yep, I concur. KTSA and WOAI are the best of the bunch, but even they leave something to be desired.

In this day and age of traffic cameras and immediate online access to real-time traffic data and accident reports, there is no excuse for crappy traffic reports.

ged_782 · 01-09-2009, 06:48 PM

As someone who had to drive Loop 410 across the North Side every weekday at rush hour for several years up until a couple of years ago, I can attest to the fact that the traffic reports on radio stations frequently lag. I would hear reports of a problem along the stretch I was traveling on, only to find nothing at that spot one minute later. Then other times I would be at a standstill with traffic backed up as far ahead as I can see, frantically switching radio stations to try to find one actually reporting the problem, to no avail. Sometimes when they reported a problem, they would get the direction or the highway name wrong (reported as Eastbound, but was actually Westbound; Callaghan at I-10 turned out to be Callaghan at 410, etc.).

Another problem: a portion of Loop 410 cuts through the Castle Hills city limits. Small suburban cities like that apparently aren't always monitored, because I would get caught in traffic backups that were caused by major accidents on the Castle Hills portion of 410, and nary a word from any of the radio traffic reports I was listening to before or after I got through the bottleneck.

the_dimwit · 01-09-2009, 08:14 PM

Anyone from the Washington, DC metro wish for a WTOP around here? They are awesome--traffic and weather on the 8's, and the rest is news all day long. The traffic is real-time (sometimes takes up to 3 minutes to get through) and is fed from traffic cameras, police/fire reports, and call-in updates. I've been living here for just over a year and really miss that kind of information.

--Dim