Steve Eldridge: Teleworking a no-brainer for cutting congestion

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - One of the most effective ways to reduce congestion quickly is through teleworking. Having employees connect to the office from their homes or teleworking centers would seem like a no-brainer.

The problem is many companies don’t know how to put these programs together.

One of the most effective ways to reduce congestion quickly is through teleworking. Having employees connect to the office from their homes or teleworking centers would seem like a no-brainer.

The problem is many companies don’t know how to put these programs together.

The Telework Consortium is, for the most part, an advocacy group for the concept of teleworking, but it also helps facilitate these programs. The consortium believes that before any organization can practice telework successfully, it’s essential to first assess the corporate infrastructure and landscape. As such, the consortium is now offering formal assessments on the viability of telework programs. These assessments would provide companies with detailed analyses on the viability of actually having telework programs in place before they launch them, thereby saving time and money. The consortium meets with four key stakeholders — IT personnel, human resource executives, managers and employees — and evaluates the readiness for enabling a remote work force.

It seems like a good way to see if teleworking is right for a given company.

Troubles in boston

It’s hard to imagine a worse scenario, but the good news is, it isn’t happening here.

The “Big Dig” project in Boston will certainly go down in history as one of the biggest boondoggles ever.

This complex project to tunnel under and alongside existing infrastructure is billions and billions of dollars over budget, and now that it’s almost done, the thing is falling apart.

Two weeks ago, a 12-ton concrete panel fell on a car, killing a passenger. That panel fell because some bolts weren’t tightened down. The governor of Massachusetts has closed off the Ted Williams two times now as a safety precaution.

To me, this whole thing should have been halted when the cost estimates started to double and triple.

Instead, the politicians and construction companies tried to save face and pressed forward.

It’s certainly something to keep in mind as local officials start to talk about building a new Bay Bridge.

Slow down

You would think that three bucks a gallon for gas would cause some of us to slow down a bit, not roar away from a stop light or “floor it” to get around somebody going too slow for our tastes.

I am amazed that so many drivers continue to drive as if they were heading to a fire.

Maybe it’s a sort of status symbol for drivers who want the world to know that the price of gas isn’t going to slow them down.

To me it just seems foolish.

Transportation questions? Thoughts, comments, random musings? Do you have an idea on how to make Baltimore’s commute a little easier for everyone? Write to Steve at Letters@SprawlandCrawl.com

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