Steve Eldridge: Residents band together to improve commutes

When I started this column, many of you didn’t understand I wanted to help improve the roads and rails. You’ve caught on.

Many of you write to me weekly with your thoughts and observations and have added me to some of your discussion lists about particular routes. It has been an eye-opener. Few other cities have commuters who have banded together in such a personal way. People take a good deal of time to document the experiences of their fellow commuters with a goal of making things better. I commend every one of you, and progress can and will continue to be made.

Transit blogging

Speaking of communication, the Metro system in Houston is launching, what could be, a risky venture.

The transit system is adding a web log, or blog, to its Web site for ongoing discussions about issues that affect riders. I call it “risky,” because the blog could become a complaint site that opens up Houston Metro to problems in public perception.

What if the answer given is wrong or misleading? What if the Metro doesn’t answer a question someone thinks is highly important? The site will have to be monitored, I imagine, but I wonder if it will be “edited” to filter out troubling issues.

Improving GPS

One of my big complaints about GPS devices is the directions don’t consider the amount of traffic on a given road. That is changing now. TomTom and Vodaphone in the United Kingdom are developing GPS systems that take into account the amount of traffic on a road that might be part of a given route. In this country, the Acura system is working toward that goal. The only problem is the accuracy of that information. Even the best traffic reports are not always correct; but until the technology improves, GPS-based directions will be a leap of faith.