California Roads Suck: Update on TRIP
Yesterday, we reported that California roads suck, linking to KGTV. The station used The Road Information Project (TRIP) as their source. Bozzie wanted to know more about this "non-profit organization that promotes transportation policies that relieve traffic congestion, improve road and bridge conditions, improve air quality, make highway travel safer and enhance economic productivity." Yes, well, The Sierra Club's 1999 Sprawl-Watch.org newsletter described TRIP as “a non-profit highway research organization sponsored by equipment manufacturers and distributors, material suppliers and businesses involved in highway engineering, construction and financing.” True dat. Back in ‘04, TRIP named Keith Harlan, then president of the general contracting firm A.M. Cohron & Son in IA, to their board. They also elected Paul Diederich, then president of Industrial Builders Inc. in Fargo, N.D., to their executive committee. TRIP’s list of state-by-state “ news releases” shows that the org. plays the “INSERT STATE NAME HERE roads suck” game around the country. And, as yankinwaoz pointed out, TRIP reckons the financial “cost” of bad roads includes fuel “wasted” by sitting in jams. California's roads still suck, but next time, we promise we'll be more cynical about media manipulation– if such a thing is possible.
Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)
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Hmm, if I make my money working on road infrastructure projects, it would certainly be in my best interest to promote the idea that our roads and bridges suck and need a lot of work. And of course, it would be even more in my best interest if I promoted said idea behind the mantle of some (illusorily) arms-length non-profit agency that could presumably fool the gullible into believing that the motivation is to improve our environment, congestion and safety rather than to prompt governments to spend more money with my company. No, I'm not at all cynical.
At least TRIP is pushing for better roads. Sierra Club would prefer no roads at all.