Delta Duke Rides Airwaves as Freeway Traffic Reporter

They called him Delta Duke in his debut as traffic reporter.

He told morning radio audiences that traffic on the San Diego Freeway was nearly at a standstill along the South Bay curve. Later, he reported, cars were moving slowly past Los Angeles International Airport.

This was hardly news, of course, to the thousands of drivers who make the commute each day.

But providing traffic updates also gave Delta Duke, alias Gov. George Deukmejian, the chance to promote his transportation program to a potential audience of more than a million motorists--most of whom were stuck in traffic.

In particular, Deukmejian urged voters to approve Proposition 74, his $1-billion bond proposal for transportation projects on the June 7 ballot.

Urges Car Pools

“We all are very much aware of the tremendous traffic congestion that we’ve got in our major urban areas, especially here in the Los Angeles area,” Deukmejian told listeners during one broadcast on radio station KNX. “That’s why were supporting Proposition 74.”

During eight separate radio spots on stations KNX, KGIL and KABC, the Republican governor also repeatedly called on commuters to help reduce traffic congestion by joining car pools.

He hinted that he is likely to oppose Proposition 72, a ballot measure sponsored by anti-tax activist Paul Gann that would transfer $200 million a year from other state programs to highway construction.

Riding in a 37-foot motor home that came equipped with two telephones, a queen-size bed and a television, Deukmejian began his trip in Long Beach at 8 a.m. and arrived in Beverly Hills shortly after 9 a.m. The governor was accompanied by an entourage of reporters, photographers and aides.

With his coat off and appearing relaxed, the governor took turns talking by telephone with each of the radio stations, providing brief updates on San Diego Freeway traffic and boosting his transportation program.

Looking out the window as he traveled on the freeway, the governor could see that most motorists were traveling alone--a fact he mentioned in nearly every broadcast.

The fastest way to eliminate rush-hour traffic, he said, would be to increase the average number of passengers per car from the present 1.2 to just 1.4.

“Along with construction, we have to have a little cooperation from the general public,” he said, nearly lecturing his radio audience at one point. “We must encourage individuals to get more involved in ride-sharing programs and commuter van programs.”

The governor commended employers that offer incentives, such as free parking for employees who car pool. He also urged employees who do not have such programs to persuade their employers to start one.

For the most part, the 32-mile trip was uneventful. The only accident the governor encountered occurred on Wilshire Boulevard, when the motor home came to a sudden stop and a large pot of hot coffee fell off a counter--splattering the governor and flooding the floor of the motor home. Unperturbed, Deukmejian helped clean up the mess.

“We didn’t see any accidents on the freeway--we had one in here,” he joked.

Proposition 74, Deukmejian said, would speed the construction of 178 freeway projects in Los Angeles and 72 in Orange County that have already been approved by the state. Of the $1 billion from the bond measure, about $400 million would be spent in the Los Angeles area, he said.

Among the projects that would be funded by Proposition 74 are a $25-million automated traffic surveillance program on the Santa Monica Freeway, $27 million in improvements to the junction of California 60 and California 71 near Pomona and $30 million in improvements to the Valley Circle Drive interchange with U.S. 101, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Passage of Proposition 74 would mark the first time that bond funds would be used for transportation projects.

Critics of the measure say that interest on the bonds will cost the taxpayers too much and that the state should instead increase the gasoline tax to pay for new highway projects.

Regressive Tax

But the governor repeated his opposition to raising the fuel tax, arguing that it is a regressive tax that unfairly burdens low-income motorists.

“Since everybody benefits from an improved transportation system, it should be spread across the board,” he told reporters between radio broadcasts.

Deukmejian said he has not yet taken a stand on Proposition 72, Gann’s measure that would provide funds for highways by exempting them from the state spending limit. The spending limit was imposed by Proposition 4, an initiative Gann sponsored in 1979.

But the governor indicated that he would probably oppose Proposition 72 because it would reduce the money available for other projects by $200 million at a time when the state is already expecting a revenue shortfall of as much as $1 billion.