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Can what you drive translate into how you vote?  Political candidates hope so. 

Campaigns spend millions to find and sway voters, tracking everything from the foods people eat to the cars they drive. 

And this strategy, called microtargeting, is believed to be highly telling.

According to poll research, if someone drives a Ford or a Chevy, they’re likely to vote Republican.  If they drive a Volvo, chances are they’re a Democrat.

The goal… find those most likely to vote for your candidate and prepare highly-targeted marketing campaigns. 

Of course, there are plenty of exceptions to this philosophy.  But many agree, the conservative vs. liberal retail trend data can be valuable in maximizing a candidate’s advertising dollars. 

So what do you think?  Has microtargeting correctly categorized you?  Post your thoughts on this blog now!

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A water main break has forced officials to closed the northbound lane of South Himes Avenue between West Alline Avenue and Dorchester Street. 

Northbound traffic on Himes Avenue is being diverted east on Alline Avenue, north on Everina Circle and west on Dorchester Street to return to Himes Avenue.  Barricades and signs are positioned in the area to help drivers around the detours.

According to the Tampa Water Department repairs, the water main and road surface repairs are expected to be completed by late Thursday. 

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Good news this morning for drivers in New Tampa… the Bruce B. Downs flyover is expected to partially reopen this week. 

FDOT officials say one lane on the southbound Bruce B. Downs bridge to southbound Interstate 75 will open by 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 24.  In addition, the green traffic signals on Bruce B. Downs will be increased. 

Meanwhile, when this new connection onto southbound I-75 opens, the current double left turn lanes to southbound I-75 at the traffic signal will close permanently.  An FDOT spokesperson notes all southbound Bruce B. Downs traffic entering southbound I-75 will then be forced to exit to the right just south of Dona Michelle Drive. 

Drivers are urged to use additional caution as they become familiar with the changed entrance ramp conditions. 

A second lane will be opened on the bridge in the coming months. 

FDOT officials say this $42 million project is running ahead of schedule.  The project was originally planned for completion in the Spring of 2009.

Additional project information is available at http://www.myTBI.com ; look for “Interstate 75 at County Road 581 (Bruce. B. Downs Blvd.)” after clicking on the I-75 shield on the home page.

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As the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games quickly approach, Beijing officials announced on Friday temporary measures to reduce traffic and the city’s notoriously poor air pollution. 

Part of the effort restricts owners of private cars to driving on alternate days, depending on whether the last number of their license plate is even or odd.  Another measure will forbid trucks and other vehicles with relatively high emissions from entering Beijing until after the Olympics. 

Officials say the cuts will mean 45 percent fewer vehicles on the road and a reduction in air pollution of 63 percent.

And did you know?  According to fightglobalwarming.com, the average household with two medium-sized sedans emits more than 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. That’s 10 tons of pollution adding to the greenhouse effect. SUVs tend to emit more global warming pollution than smaller cars—as much as 40 percent more exhaust. 

Here’s the numbers.  A gallon of gasoline weighs just over 6 pounds. When burned, the carbon in it combines with oxygen to produce about 19 pounds of CO2. Adding in the energy to make and distribute the fuel, the total global warming pollution is about 25 pounds of CO2 per gallon. An average car that gets 21 mpg and is driven about 30 miles a day uses 1.4 gallons daily and emits 35.7 pounds of CO2 every day. That’s a lot of pounds when multiplied by the millions of cars across the country.

For more tips on fuel efficiency and ways to reduce pollution, visit http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/page.cfm?tagID=268.

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Did you know?  Traffic information is available on your phone, computer, or PDA… anytime, anywhere. 

Follow the link below to register for customized traffic reports from My Traffic when you want them.  For example, you can program your phone to call or text you when you leave for work in the morning or set up an automatic email every weekday before you head home from the office.  Also visit TBO.com for additional commute details 24/7 including traffic jam factors, directions, and construction and accident updates.

To sign up for My Traffic, log onto the following:
http://my.traffic.com/Controller?appname=userregistration&workflowname=userregNew&PARTNER=DEFAULT&metroid=0&ct=hm_Register&campid=0&ssns=21&

And finally, if you have traffic-related questions and concerns, you can post your views on this blog, Traffic Talk, or email me directly at the station.

Safe travels!

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Despite the dismal news from General Motors about their recent decision to cut salaried employees in an effort to save the company from its rumored bankruptcy, another automaker is creating new jobs in the United States.

This week, Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, announced plans to build a new a new U.S. assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Officials say the facility will create about 2,000 jobs.

Volkswagen Group of America Inc. states it plans to use their Chattanooga operations to produce a new midsize sedan designed specifically for the North American consumer.  The company says the new plant and jobs will add $1 billion to the economy.

Sites in Alabama and Michigan were also considered as part of Volkswagen’s long-term goal to increase its presence in America.  Volkswagen had not had an active production facility in the United States since it closed its last plant in this country in 1988.

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With gas prices clinging to the $4 mark, cutting back on your fuel consumption can result in big savings.  And have you heard?  The Bay area has a carpool program that may come in handy… it’s called Ez-Ride.

Ez-Ride Online Matching, from Bay Area Commuter Services (BACS), helps identify potential carpool partners with whom you can share your daily commute.  Ez-Ride is fairly simple to begin and takes just a few minutes to initially complete.  You provide your home information, work information and an e-mail address.  If there are commuters who match your commute profile, you will receive an immediate list of potential carpool partners who can be contacted to make arrangements to carpool.  At any time, you can go to Ez-Ride and run your commute profile again to receive an update.

Once you are carpooling, be sure to enroll in the Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH).  The Emergency Ride Home Program is designed to take the anxiety out of leaving your car at home. You no longer have to worry about being stranded at work without a car when you have an emergency.  The Emergency Ride Home Program allows you up to eight taxi rides each year for free in case of personal illness, family emergency or unexpected overtime.

To register for ERH or to learn about other BACS programs and services go to http://www.TampaBayRideshare.org or call 800-998-RIDE.

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VIDEO: 4th of July Drunk Driving

The 4th of July holiday means barbeques, fireworks, and celebrating.  But those festivities can turn tragic.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 4th of July holiday weekend is the deadliest for drunk driving related crashes, even more so than New Year’s. 

Last year, I told you about Travis Peer.  Travis was a young man with a big heart and bright future whose life was sadly cut short by a drunk driver.  Ruth and Drew Finn, Travis’s parents, shared their story with with me and the Tampa community with the hope other families might be spared their grief.  I encourage you to watch the video above for a powerful reminder about the grave danger posed with drinking and driving. 

Don Murray, Florida’s Executive Director of MADD, says the best defense to prevent drunk driving is to plan ahead:
“The problem frankly is that when you drink, your judgment goes away and you don’t think you are impaired… and once the judgment goes, you feel perfectly content to and confident that your abilities to drive are not impaired.  People have to understand that that is the first clue that there’s trouble.”

Don encourages everyone this 4th of July to select a designated driver or chip in for a cab or other form of transportation.  For more information on drunk driving related initiatives, legislation, resources and statistics, visit MADD’s website at http://www.madd.org. 

The following is a partial list of cab services available throughout the metro Tampa area and its suburbs.

Affordable Taxi (727) 733-3333, 2647 Harbor Cir, Clearwater, FL

Action Cab & Shuttle (727) 845-3090, New Port Richey, FL

United Cab Company (813) 253-2424, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa

Yellow Cab (813) 253-3590, 502 N Oregon Ave, Tampa

A Americab Taxi, (813) 837-4455, 506 N Archer St, Tampa

ABC Taxi (813) 872-8294, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa

Florida Taxi (727) 896-5008, Tampa

Gulf Coast Transportation (813) 251-3107, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa

Cab Plus Incorporated, (813) 250-0990, Hyde Park, Tampa

Tampi Taxi Incorporated, (813) 888-5008, 4105 N Florida Ave, Tampa

United Cab Company (813) 251-6494, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa

Wishing you and your family a safe and relaxing 4th.
Alicia

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For the 2008 July 4th Holiday weekend, the Reversible Express Lanes will be open eastbound from 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 3 and will remain open in the eastbound direction until 6 a.m., Monday, July 7, 2008.

Motorists are reminded that the Reversible Express Lanes are open only to Electronic and Video Toll Collection customers. If a vehicle does not have a SunPass or Toll-By-Plate account, the owner can call 1-888-TAG-TOLL up to 72 hours after use of the express lanes to avoid a possible fine or to open an account.

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Monday morning was a little easier this morning for drivers in Manatee County.  As of Sunday evening, all Southbound lanes of I-75 at US-301 as well as the ramps to the interstate were reopened to traffic. 

The I-75 overpass over US-301 had to be replaced after a fuel tanker fell over the guardrail on June 4th and exploded.  The flames charred the interstate and local US-301.

For more than three weeks, drivers in both directions faced delays as two Southbound lanes were rerouted onto the Northbound traffic pattern.  But with favorable weather and a $300,000 state bonus incentive, construction crews wrapped up the emergency repairs ahead of schedule. 

State transportation officials say the two Northbound and two Southbound lanes of US-301 are expected to open Tuesday night.  Currently, one lane gets by in both directions. 

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The overpass along I-75 at US-301 in Ellenton continues to be rebuilt following a fiery crash that scorched the bridge three weeks ago. 

Manatee County officials now say good weather and financial incentives from the government has pushed the emergency work along at record pace.  The project was scheduled to last six weeks but construction crews may reopen the Southbound lanes of the interstate as early as Monday morning, weather permitting. 

Currently, a traffic pattern shift remains in place.  Two lanes of Southbound traffic are being routed into the Northbound lanes.  Reduced speeds are in place through that region. 

The I-75/US-301 intersection is one of the most traveled in the region and I-75 is the central access highway to Sarasota County and Southwest Florida.

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To celebrate Father’s Day, Dad’s ride free on the TECO Line Streetcar System when accompanied by their families all day Sunday, June 15th. 

The TECO Line Streetcar System operates from noon until 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Happy Father’s Day to all Dads!

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Paving work will begin on the local lanes of the Crosstown Expressway east and west of the 78th Street main toll plaza on Sunday June 22, 2008.  Paving work will take place at night from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.  The project is expected to be completed Thursday, July 17, 2008.

Users of the elevated lanes will not be affected, but drivers on the lower lanes (both eastbound and westbound directions) will encounter lane closures and paving equipment during this time.  In addition, for safety reasons, the construction area will be lighted.

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This Friday, the FDOT will launch a new safety campaign, Guard Your Life - Drive Alert on I-75, aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities on Interstate 75.  The safety campaign coincides with a construction project to add guardrail on I-75 from CR-577 to the Pasco/Hernando County Line and from north of SR 50 to the Hernando/Sumter County Line.

District Seven Secretary of Transportation Don Skelton said, “FDOT is putting in guardrails along the medians of I-75 in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Hernando counties in an effort to reduce head-on crashes.  The goal is to make I-75 a safer corridor for everyone.”

From January 2004 through May 2007, there were a total of 4,702 crashes with 3,160 injuries and 66 fatalities that occurred on I-75 from Hillsborough/Manatee to Hernando/Sumter counties.  Out of these crashes there were 36 head-on collisions resulting in one fatality and 26 injuries. 

FDOT is also joining forces with the Florida Trucking Association to broadcast this safety message. 

For more information on the FDOT “Guard Your Life - Drive Alert on I-75” safety campaign, please visit: http://www.drivealert75.com.

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In the event of a severe hurricane forecast for the Bay area where mandatory evacuations are ordered, undoubtably you will have a lot to consider.  Experts recommend taking car of your car now, so it is one less task to remember.  Here are few tips for hurricane car preparation:

1. Make sure you have a full tank of gas before a storm arrives.

2. Store a crate in your trunk with emergency supplies: a first aid kit, duct tape, jumper cables for a dead battery, one or two blankets, a flashlight, bottled water, shelf-stable food (like energy bars), basic tools like a screwdriver and pliers, a couple of brightly colored cloths to tie on your rear-view mirror to signal for help if you need it.

3. Make sure you have a good spare tire.

4. If you’re evacuating, bring your (fully charged) cell phone.

5. If you’re evacuating or returning home after a hurricane, avoid driving through water.  The average car can be swept off the road by as little as 12” of moving water. According to the National Hurricane Center, more than half of all hurricane deaths in the last 30 years have resulted from inland flooding.  Of those deaths, one in four was someone who drowned in her car.  Find an alternate route.

6. If your vehicle stalls in deep water, you may need to restart the engine to make it to safety.  However, restarting may cause severe damage to your engine.  If you can’t restart your vehicle and you become trapped in rising water, IMMEDIATELY ABANDON IT FOR HIGHER GROUND. If you’re unable to get out of the vehicle safely, call 911 or get help from a passerby or someone standing on higher ground.

7. After you and your vehicle are out of deep water and in a safe area, depress your brakes slowly several times to help dry them out.  And remember, if you’re evacuating an area and leaving your car behind, be sure it’s not left in a low-lying area prone to flooding. Rising water can seep in and damage your vehicle.

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