Mark Twain averred that everyone talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it. That's true even for those paid to talk about it: weathercasters, forecasters, meteorologists, environmental reporters and other assorted earth-science bookies.

When it comes to the other topic most of us talk about everyday — traffic — people do try to do something about it. And the people who are paid to talk about it do as well. After all, unlike weather, we created all this traffic; we ought to be able to do something about it.

The traffic talkabout herein referred to, however, is not traffic roundabout — proposals, projects and programs — but traffic reporting — the real-time, real-world reality of freeway flow. Or sometimes, the want of flow. Yet as traffic has amassed in San Diego, so has traffic information, and that growth is due just as much to developments in telecommunications.

Caltrans, for instance, not only makes plans to accommodate traffic growth in the years ahead; it shows the traffic growth this morning, this afternoon, or whatever time you want, in real time, on its Website (www.dot.ca.gov/sdtraffic) where you will find a map of San Diego County freeways, color-coded (red-yellow-green, just like a traffic light) by level of congestion.

There also is a table showing the average speed of vehicles at various points along the freeways. On the green-tinted freeways, you might be surprised to see average speeds more approximating what you'd expect on Germany's Autobahn or along the highways of Montana, in the halcyon days when motoring the Big Sky state was virtually unquantified by speed limits; actual average speeds on uncongested San Diego freeways can top 75 miles per hour. (Rocker Sammy Hagar wasn’t speaking just for himself when he wailed, "I can’t drive 55.")

Wire loops buried in grooves cut into the concrete traffic lanes detect what’s moving on top. Based on the data collected, using algorithms, actual speeds can be determined. So can the number of vehicles and even the kinds of vehicle moving across.

Checking the Caltrans site before leaving for or from work can be a big help to commuters. But it’s not the only traffic report motorists should depend on, says Jim Kern of Airwatch America, especially when you’re in the thick of traffic. "It’s important to know that the Internet information has not caught up accurately with what you can get on the radio. It’s usually a little behind," he says.

Kern also points out a traffic report normally is not far away on the radio. "The growth and the congestion on freeways that has not caught up with that growth have contributed to the growth of the traffic reporting industry. I started with this company in 1984. At that time, we were doing traffic starting at 6 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m., starting at 3:30 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m."

He says Airwatch now has 25 on-air employees and is staffed 24 hours a day providing traffic reports to 19 radio stations (the ones owned by Clear Channel and Jefferson Pilot Communications) and to KUSI television. Kern dispels the notion that traffic reports are nothing more than a voice, with or without a personality, simply rehashing information from the Caltrans Website.

Airwatch's primary information source is its aircraft (hence the name Airwatch) airborne during drive times with Cal Walker, who's been on the job since 1990. Airwatch also has a direct link to California Highway Patrol and Caltrans monitoring systems. It employs producers to compile the information, much of which comes from motorists themselves on the GTE Wireless Cellular Patrol. "That's a huge tool for us. Very often we hear about traffic delays from motorists before the CHP does," Kern says.

If it’s busy on freeways, it’s just as busy for traffic reporting. Shadow Broadcast Services provides traffic reports to 25 San Diego radio stations, and to KFMB, KGTV and KNSD television from 11 studios in its Mission Valley building, says Shadow general manager John Savidge.

Among its traffic reporters is Kimberly King for KNSD television and Jason Austell, in Chopper 8 for KFMB. Its sources for traffic information also includes "spotters" at the border to estimate "border wait."

Sometimes the reported difference between estimate and reality, whether border wait or where the "stop-and-go" really is, drives motorists nuts. But Savidge ascribes that to a pair of factors. "First, the affiliate (the radio station getting the traffic report) only wants certain information on certain areas or catering to a certain type of demographic. Secondly, that (traffic) happens; they (police officers) clear accidents quickly or not so quickly."

Shadow is owned by New York-based radio giant Westwood One, which bought and brought under one roof Metro Networks, another San Diego traffic service, earlier this year, according to Savidge. Airwatch America, headquartered in San Diego, also reports on traffic in Los Angeles, Denver and Tampa.

"As we get into more congestion, it’s becoming big business to monitor traffic," says Caltrans spokesman Tom Nipper. "From Caltrans' perspective, it’s really good to see the change in technology. That's really helped to improve the mobility of the region."

There are more technological changes to come. Caltrans has begun installing video cameras along San Diego freeways: on Highway 163 at Friars Road, Washington Street and the Interstate 8 interchange, and on Interstate 5 at the Coronado Bridge. More cameras are planned for Highway 94 and Interstate 15. Soon, the real-time images from these cameras also will be available on the Caltrans Website, as they are for Caltrans highway cameras in Los Angeles and other areas in the state.

Caltrans' fiber optic cable system in fact will be a brave new world of two-way communications flow. With the system, Caltrans will be able not only to monitor signal ramps, but even to activate sprinkler heads on highway landscaping, Nipper says.

Now, if you’re planning a long road trip, you can still use the old-fashioned telephone for information on statewide road conditions at (800) 427-ROAD (7623) by selecting the desired freeway or highway number. The automated Caltrans number may not be useful for the afternoon drive outlook on Highway 94, but it’s great for checking on washouts on Highway 1 south of Big Sur.