Letter: No need for new traffic monitoring system

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To the editor,

I read with mild amusement and a touch of dismay the Waterbury Republican’s June 18 “Information Highway” article detailing our state’s new traffic monitoring system which was recently deployed on I-84.

While I do not question the accuracy of the new system, I do wonder about the need for this additional deliverable, which must increase the cost of the project, in order to reinvent a system (and a less functional one at that) which is already available free on most cell phones and any computer. Pressing the Google Maps icon on one’s phone provides all the functionality of the state’s system and far more, including the ability to find alternate routes instantaneously, and automatic re-routing in the event of a traffic jam.

The article touts the system feature that also allows a user to view traffic status via the internet. I presume that one would do that prior to getting in one’s vehicle, but there too, the capability already exists. Simply type “Google traffic” into your browser’s search engine and a real-time map of traffic conditions will pop up. Accurate travel times are also provided.

Given the condition of the state’s finances, I believe we would be better off keeping the costs of projects lower by resisting the temptation to reinvent the wheel.

Robert Bradley

Beacon Falls