Marty Bufalini - your midday traffic reports on 8/13 were bullcrap. WWJ is becoming a useless pile.

[MWmetalhead]

Major slowdown / backup on I-96 eastbound near Howell due to only 1 open lane as a result of concrete replacement and sealing. Zero mention from Marty.

Saw a 10 or 15 minute delay on westbound 96 through Novi and Wixom as I headed east. Zero mention from Marty.

Google Maps is showing a big slowdown on northbound 23 from the Washtenaw County line to the I-96 junction. That's about five miles of bumper to bumper traffic. Zero mention from Marty.

Does he get his traffic data from fantasy land, or does he just pretend there are no road issues so he can do less work?

[edj]

It's as bad as O'Neil Stevens calling I-96 and Chilson Road construction in the "Milford area".

Marty stumbles a lot and seems off guard. He's been around for years so no excuses. It's at the point WWJ is down to 2, maybe 3 decent traffic reporters. Apparently upper management is content with piss poor reports.

[MWmetalhead]

I-96 and Chilson is the Howell area trouble spot I was mentioning.

It's bad until just past the I-96 business loop left side entrance ramp. Oh, to make matters even more fun, an orange barrel was rolling around in the middle of the freeway about a mile east of there.

[Mega Hertz]

Hey, guys, I'm not really sticking up for anyone, but, those are pretty much part and parcel for this area. You could be the last man on earth and still deal with traffic in those areas. No point in mentioning them anymore; it's pretty much a fucking given. Doesn't excuse him, but it is the truth.

[MWmetalhead]

96 eastbound normally flows pretty smoothly around Noon on a Sunday through Livingston County. I've made that drive dozens of times over the past decade. I cannot speak to 23 north by Brighton and Whitmore Lake.

[edj]

It's Sunday. All those areas normally aren't that bad, even US-23. Rush hour M-F I agree with you- not a priority unless there is a complete closure, accident, or general multi mile backup.

[edj]

Buzzboard's favorite WWJ traffic reporter Jim Hughes mentioned more than once about a problem on 275 at Hines Dr affecting the ramps. There are no ramps- entrance or exit- at Hines. There are ramps at 96/14 and Ann Arbor Road, but our buddy specifically mentioned ramps at Hines Dr.

[MWmetalhead]

Oy vey.

[Mr.Transistor]

I have called into WWJ to report traffic slowdowns due an accident or cars on side of the road. The last time I called into the station to report something was a couple years ago on a Friday night. There was a big back up on I-75 North near Sibley Rd. and the person I spoke to on the other end pretty much dismissed my call and acted like they had bigger things to worry about. Ever since then, I don't participate in giving them anymore traffic tips.

[ZenithCKLW]

I contacted a traffic reporter at WWJ about a report I heard on the radio: there was an accident or something "at 275 and 96." Well, us native Metro-Detroiters that could be in two locations: Plymouth/Livonia and Novi/Farmington Hills and the report didn't mention which junction, and I didn't know if it would impact my commute. The reporter, who was relatively new as they came from an out of market station previously, condescendingly attempted to "school me" on why his report was accurate, and "teach me" how the interstate system works because "there aren't two 96's, 96 shares the roadway with 275 between those points." Yes, I know that, but the wording of his report still created the confusion. I was so turned off to that guy and his response to me I wouldn't listen to his reports anymore until he was replaced by Dennis Neubacher, who was a breath of fresh air.

[edj]

I've called in reports at times too. Some who answer (usually not the traffic reporter) do seem to care. Others, notably trafic reporter Tracy McCaskill, are extremely rude and obviously feel I am wasting their time.

[Colonel Flagg]

Marty generally does a good job, and knows the roads, unlike some of these other clueless rubes. Is there any possibility that the "jam cams" in that stretch of I-96 are currently out due to ongoing construction? Marty (or anyone else) is only as good as the information that's in front of them.

[MWmetalhead]

I agree he usually does a good job, but his reports Sunday were pretty useless. Multiple smartphone apps showed the backups I described, and I witnessed 2 of 3 firsthand.

[Colonel Flagg]

I've called in reports at times too. Some who answer (usually not the traffic reporter) do seem to care. Others, notably trafic reporter Tracy McCaskill, are extremely rude and obviously feel I am wasting their time.

This doesn't surprise me. The "traffic reporter" gig seems to attract a lot of "wannabe TV personalities" who never completely make the cut. If they're lucky, you might see these people filling in doing the weather on Sunday night on CBS 62.

I could mention a couple names, but that would just be cruel.

[billmich88888]

I've called in reports at times too. Some who answer (usually not the traffic reporter) do seem to care. Others, notably trafic reporter Tracy McCaskill, are extremely rude and obviously feel I am wasting their time.

This doesn't surprise me. The "traffic reporter" gig seems to attract a lot of "wannabe TV personalities" who never completely make the cut. If they're lucky, you might see these people filling in doing the weather on Sunday night on CBS 62.

I could mention a couple names, but that would just be cruel.

Same thing with those Comerica park "hosts" that screech their promotions between innings - weather girl wanna-bees