Commuter Chronicles, San Francisco, CA 1996
Partners:
San Francisco Chronicle
KQED-FM (NPR)
KRON-TV (NBC)
The partners in the two-year-old “Voice of the Voter” project decided to join forces for a non-electoral effort in 1996 and took on the issue of traffic congestion in “Unlock the Gridlock.” Some 1,500 people participated in five public forums held between May 1996 and April 1997, exploring the various factors in the Bay Area’s choking traffic jams. The forums gave citizens the chance to question elected officials and transportation executives about the lack of coordination in mass transit and search for solutions. Citizens could also ask questions through clip-and-send coupons in the Chronicle. Coverage also included live broadcasts on KQED and stories on KRON.
All the partners produced series throughout the year on topics related to the traffic issue, such as inadequate traffic regulation and poorly planned development that put more cars on the road. The Chronicle also conducted a poll of Bay Area residents about housing and land use and how it relates to traffic.
Results included broader public input into a new Bay Bridge design and two new pieces of state legislation. One bill gave the Metropolitan Transportation Commission authority to coordinate routes and operations, bringing a measure of organization to what had been a fragmented system. The other – passed and signed into law after a series of articles about red-light running and interviews with victims of injuries – doubled the fine for going through a red light.
Contacts:
Vlae Kershner
Regional Editor
San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 777-8858
Email: vk@sfgate.com
Raul Ramirez
News Director
KQED-FM
2601 Mariposa St.
San Francisco, CA 94110-1400
Phone: (415) 553-2253
Email: raul_ramirez@qm.kqed.org
Stacy Owen
News Director
KRON-TV (NBC)
1001 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94109
TEL: (415) 561-8008
FAX: (415) 561-8621
EMAIL: owen@kron.com
Daniel Rosenheim
News Director
KPIX-TV
855 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111-1597
TEL: (415) 765-8618
FAX: (415) 765-8844
EMAIL: rosenheim@kpix.cbs.com