NYC Shadow Traffic 1980

A look at Shadow Traffic's NYC operations in 1980 as shown on the program "To Life." The host of the show on WCBS-TV is Huell Howser.
Appearing on the segment are Susan Murphy, Donna Fiducia, Joe Nolan, Fred Feldman, Joe Biermann, Chris Clark and Bernie Wagenblast.

[@stcrimi]

Classic! I loved all the old cars and the clothing and hairstyles style from 1980! This definitely gets me smiling. Love the way they talk about this all being the newest and best thing, because it was!

[@TedNewkirk]

Huell will be missed. What a one-of-a kind.

[@georgiametfan]

Love this, Bernie! Loved seeing friends- including Susan! It was because of her that I had a 21 year run with Metro!

[@DroTrebor]

Bernie, thanks for sharing this. What a hoot! At around that same time period (well...1985-1990), I worked for NYCDOT in the Traffic Bureau and then at HQ. You probably remember Sam Schwartz from that time frame. I didn't realize you were a New Yorker! Anyway, thanks for sharing this blast from the past. I remember Shadow Traffic quite fondly from my days there in the City. Bob Scopatz

[@Health4Her]

Great story! An industry was born..Worked at "Shadow' from 1994 to 2001 at the Rutherford location, before the Clearchannel takeover. Wonderful people, great on-air exposure, and built a great career out of traffic reporting!

[@vwestlife]

A van with shag carpeting and TRS-80 computers... two signs of the time! But we may never know what was "happening now" at the end? :-)

[@jffsmth330]

neat little feature. thanks for posting.

[@JimmySand9]

That's a long way to go to find California Gold.

[@BushLeaguer001]

There are probably twice as many cars on the road now in 2017 than there were in 1980.

[@HowieAppel]

Great video!!

[@muziktrkr]

RIP Huell - thank you Tom Leykis for linking to the page.

[@brwagenblast]

The fixed-wing aircraft were primarily used to cover the suburbs. There were planes over Rockland/Westchester, Connecticut, LI and NJ. They would fly over the Hudson River crossings but they spent most of their time in the suburbs. We would get info from the WCBS and WOR choppers, which spent most of their time over the city. Both stations were Shadow clients.

[@MinifigNewsguy]

Years before Waze - did Shadow have crowdsourced info. Shadow had computers to keep other reporters informed. Shadow have time delays over miles before the tech Metro? Lets listen to the two way radios and just rely on local authorities. Shadow stood out for being original. I know they merged and CC wanted Total Traffic branding instead. You guys were the original Innovators! Was just barely old enough to prolly get a job there but i aspire to have the shadow spirit in the 2020s!

[@boweandrew3]

Wow just awsome

[@LinoNewyork]

One odd thing is the use of fixed-wing aircraft. Feldman flew choppers in the 60-70's and by the mid-eighties so did everyone else in the metro area. Fixed-wing was more typical of suburbs and places like Connecticut.

[@salcowan]

Love the hairdo Bernie!!!

[@jahwangful]

before navigation came out

[@channeltransportasi]

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