The Annual Golden Pylon Awards spotlight true-grit traffic reporters whose on-air traffic talk keeps rush-hour commuters in the know about alternatives to solo driving. The awards are a prelude to Rideshare Week from Oct. 5 - 9 when commuters are encouraged to share the ride.
The Golden Pylon Awards are sponsored by four regional transportation agencies: Metro in Los Angeles County, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), San Bernardino Associated Governments and Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC). The coveted Golden Pylon Awards were handed out to the Southland’s top traffic reporters today. The awards honor the reporters who keep the region's traffic moving by promoting rideshare options such as carpools, vanpools, bicycling, walking, and public transportation.
Nominated by their peers and the transit agencies, five traffic reporters who report on the daily traffic grind for numerous broadcast outlets won the 2015 top honors.
- California Highway Patrol Officer Edgar Figueroa, reporting traffic conditions for CHP
- Ginger Chan, transit savvy traffic reporter for KTLA-TV and 102.7 KIIS-FM.
- Richard Turnage, assisting the public in finding better commuting options on KNX 1070.
- Barbara Brooks, bringing up-to-the-minute traffic info on KNX 1070, KFMB AM, SeriousLAX, KOGO AM, KOLA FM, KMVE AM.
- Angel Martinez, helping the public beat the traffic on KFI 640, KOST, KYSR Alt 98.7.
The Golden Pylon Awards are a traditional prelude to Rideshare Week, which begins Monday, Oct. 5, although Metro is kicking off festivities on Oct. 4. Rideshare Week is a statewide campaign to encourage thousands of commuters to 'share the ride' to help reduce traffic and air pollution.
During Rideshare Week, Metro, OCTA, VCTC, and SANBAG will be hosting events, pledge drives and prize give-aways for commuters in their counties. Commuters in Ventura and Los Angeles counties can pledge online. Prizes for LA County commuters include 7-Day TAP passes, AAA Memberships, handbags from Brighton Collectibles, gift cards to Macy’s, Barnes & Noble gift cards from Burbank Transportation Management Organization, and gas cards provided by Enterprise and VRide.
Metro will be hosting a mobile Karaoke Rickshaw, guided bike rides to Ambulante Film Festival, and a commuter interview social media event to showcase the significance of ridesharing. Visit metro.net/rideshare for event times and details.
