What do you think of when you hear the word “chart”? You?re probably thinking of something on a chalkboard with jagged, multicolored lines. Would it change things if the word were in caps like “CHART”? OK, we?re getting a lot of blank stares out there. What do you think of when I say “response units”? In some cities, they might be called Highway Angels or the Crash Squad or simply the Safety Patrol. The thing is that Maryland?s CHART program is one of the innovators of a lot of highway safety programs going back to its formation back in the early 1980s as part of the Reach the Beach campaign initiated by then-Gov. William Donald Schaefer. It also represents Maryland?s connection with the Intelligent Transportation System, an area that is becoming more and more of a player in the management of our roads and highways.
The problem is that a lot of us just don?t know about it, and we should. For example, if you go to www.chart.state.md.us, you?ll see a list of links to various services provided through the CHART program. There is an overview of the program that goes into some detail but the thing that will be most interesting to you and me is the “Local Traveler Information” link.
This is where you can get construction information for the route you intend to travel and even take a look at camera images of many of the region?s roads and highways (the cameras are currently down for system upgrades).
This site is as complete as any traffic report you might hear on the radio or see on television, though in the defense of our good friends the traffic reporters, each image and other piece of information must still be interpreted.
The reason I bring this up is that the folks at Maryland?s State Highway Administration have hired a group to help them figure out how to get more people aware of what CHART does.
The goal is for more people like you and me to take advantage of what it is that they have spent so much time and money putting together. It is likely that you will be hearing a lot more about the CHART program in the months ahead as the program this group is putting together gets up and running.
One of the first things that I think they need to do is come up with a better name. The truth of the matter is that CHART began as an acronym without meaning way back when and the powers that be had to come up with the right words to match. At one point, it was Chesapeake Highway Accident Response Team when it focused more on Route 50. Those orange trucks and the men and women who drive them need some sort of moniker, a name that makes people go, “Oh, yeah, I know them.”
Start thinking about these questions now so that if you get asked as part of a focus group, you?ll have a good answer prepared.
Steve Eldridge is an award-winning traffic and transportation reporter. You can contact him with your thoughts, ideas and questions by writing to: [email protected]. Only your first name will be used if your letter is published and e-mails will only be forwarded for response with your permission.
