It'd be nice if tv stations had "transportation beats" rather than "traffic beats"

Granted outside of major cities, and even within most metropolitan areas, most trips are made by car (complemented by walking), city mobility involves more than just cars, and includes pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, freight transportation by truck and rail, delivery, taxi and ride hailing services, etc.

Although, since advertising for automobiles comprises a major share of the ad revenue for tv station (except during election years if the station is located in an area of political competition), it's not a surprise that television stations tend to favor automobility when it comes to stories about transportation.


KIVI-TV anchor Frankie Katafias uses the Waze app from Google Inc. to show viewers of traffic issues during a recent broadcast.

BoiseDev reports ("With Valley traffic increasing, TV station puts more resources into reporting") that Boise, Idaho television station KIVI has added a traffic beat.

But I know (although it seems somewhat ridiculous) that there is planning or at least talk underway in the metropolitan area concerning light rail and biking, walking, transit, and urban design matters are big issues in the city proper especially in relation to the large university campus of Boise State.

But most tv reporting on transportation tends to be auto-centric.

There ought to be a way for the industry to put resources into changing this.

Yarn bombing of a bicycle rack in Boise.

Robert Thomson, the now retired "Dr. Gridlock" columnist for the Washington Post said in a presentation that some of the highest read articles on the Post website are transit and transportation related, especially about the area Metrorail subway system, so he believed that the paper would continue to pour resources into that coverage, even as the paper cuts "local issue" coverage as it shifts resources to the online newspaper, which tends to draw more visits from outside the region.

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Similarly, I've argued that transit systems should create "transit reporter" positions, similar to the traffic reporting on radio stations, about transit, delays, etc.