 Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 KGW-TV traffic reporter Bill Diez has been very, very bad. Last week, as part of a sweeps-week feature, Diez ran four "Beat the Commute" segments in which he raced against another driver--from four different suburbs to downtown's Pioneer Courthouse Square. One car took the traditional freeway routes, while Diez took surface streets. The feature may have helped ratings, but it was a roguish stunt. The city's Transportation Office is in a tizzy over the TV station encouraging people to drop off the freeways and drive through neighborhoods. "We're outraged over here," says Mary Volm of the department. She says that while it may seem sporty to outwit the daily commute, the residents who are going to suffer an increased traffic flow are none too pleased. Diez says he meant no harm. For one thing, he says, some alternate routes, such as the north leg of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, are highways with few residents or businesses. That's fine, but the same can't be said about his Barnes Road route (his recommended route to avoid traffic jams on the Sunset), which weaves through West Hills neighborhoods. Even more outrageous, no mention was made of public transportation as a method to "Beat the Commute," even though one morning Diez started his race at the Beaverton Transit Center. His route was 15 minutes faster than the freeway trek. But if he'd hopped on the MAX, the entire trip would have taken about 20 minutes--much faster than Diez's back-road scramble. According to Diez, the story was designed to assist drivers, not all commuters. "The majority of people do still drive," he says. With help like this, it's no wonder.
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