Podcasting can help motorists plan their driving

As the Tyler area continues to grow and traffic congestion with it, a service to help make drivers aware of potential construction delays was unveiled last week by the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation. Its new weekly podcast is intended to keep mo

torists informed about TxDOT projects and programs on a weekly basis.

"This is an exciting day for us," said TxDOT Public Information Officer Larry Krantz, who is spearheading the concept for the department state-wide. "No other TxDOT district is doing this. I can't find another state that's doing this.

"Podcasting gives us an opportunity to inform those who choose to be informed about construction projects in the eight counties we serve in the Tyler District, and to inform them directly so the information is timely.

"With cable and then satellite television offering hundreds of channels, satellite radio, TiVo, various mp3 players and the explosion of the internet, consumers can get their news and entertainment whenever and however they want. So we thought, why not highway information as well?"

The podcast, called a "DOTcast," will cover a variety of topics in a 3-to-5-minute radio style format that can be downloaded to mp3 players and iPods on demand, or accessed directly via computer.

The episodes, which will be updated late in the week to cover the following week's planned projects, will also include TxDOT ExTRAS, oneminute updates as necessary throughout the week to give motorists a heads-up as circumstances change on the ground.

"We've packed a lot of information into these episodes," Krantz said. "We hope everyone will take advantage of this service, and give us their feedback."

To access the Tyler District DOTcast on your computer, go to the TxDOT Web site at www.txdot.gov, click on "Local Information," then on the TYL district icon.

The DOTcast is also available at Tyler's Web site at www.cityoftyler.org, then click on "Road Report." For downloading onto mp3 players and iPods, go to iTunes or www.podcast.net and search on "txdot."