Update on Patrick Driscoll no longer covering transportation for the SAEN

Further info from the San Antonio Express-News about the replacement of long-time transportation reporter Patrick Driscoll. Re my question about if somebody will be covering transportation, why can't Patrick still have that position, their community liaison says, "Because transportation is an important beat, I'm sure it will be assigned to a veteran reporter, possibly as part of a larger area of responsibility, say he or she might cover City Council and transportation, or municipal government, to include transportation."

The upshot still is there will one less veteran reporter focusing on--shining a light on--the ever-growing topic of transportation in Texas.

Thanks Patrick for all your past work.

Valuable transportation reporter let go by SAEN

Patrick Driscoll, long-time and expert transportation reporter at the the San-Antonio Express-News, has been let go as part of the paper's need to cut costs. Patrick covered state-wide transportation issues, and his blog was a valuable sounding board for transportation opinions from citizens around the state.

I asked the SAEN: "Please reconsider your decision to let Pat Driscoll go. Over the past few years, his coverage has been the standard for in-depth, knowledgeable, and up-to-date transportation news and analysis. During the last several days, I kept returning to his blog for the latest news, wondering why he not updated as he always did. I had decided he must be on vacation until I heard he had been layed off. Thank you for any reconsideration."

I received a reply from the paper regretting that this step was necessary. However, in the reply was the statement: "He will be missed and his successor (no one has been assigned as yet) will have a tough act to follow."

I responded: "If there will be a successor, why can't Patrick Driscoll still have that assignment?"

If Pat Driscoll must be lost to the transportation conversation in Texas, it will be a sad loss indeed.