the buzz log

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge — the monstrous connector between San Francisco and Oakland in Northern California — wowed with its super-speedy work over Labor Day weekend. But on Tuesday night, the Bay Bridge suddenly closed again, with no clear timeline for when it will re-open.

What happened?
The goal had been an emergency repair on a structural beam on a cantilevered section, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Locals should have considered that the dress rehearsal: The fix only lasted seven weeks, when high winds apparently caused repaired parts to come crashing down on cars below during the rush hour commute. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt. But the Bay Area commute is sure taking a beating — and this time the bridge could be shut off to traffic for days.

The headache has caused Web traffic to surge on the Bay Bridge. One-day Yahoo! searches for "bay bridge closure" rose a whopping 22,600%. Commuters also looked up "bay bridge cable," "bay bridge news," and "bay bridge traffic."

Nightmare commute
And if you think your regular commute is a nightmare, welcome to the new normal: The normally quarter-million Bay Bridge drivers clogged alternate routes and bridges, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) commuter rail was standing room only, with a record number or riders. Lines to buy BART tickets ran seven deep, ferries were filled to capacity, and buses linked riders to alternative routes. BART has so far extended its trains, but not its hours, because apparently these things cost a lot of money. They're happy to do it if someone kicks in some cash, though.

Odd fact
The reason for the shut-down on Labor Day was to work on a new bridge that will replace the old one. Workers noticed the crack on the old structure and made the quick, not-so-effective fix. The 30-mph winds did in the eyebar repair, although officials say they think they have figured out a work-around. We sure hope they're right this time.

Get the latest info on the Bay Bridge closure.

Filed under: Transportation

After the horrific bridge collapse in Minneapolis yesterday, people turned to the Web in overwhelming numbers. The dramatic rise in searches like "bridge collapse" (+2,141%), "mississippi river" (+1,842%) and "minneapolis" (+1,458%) revealed an urgent need to find out what had happened and where.

As details emerged, the "collapse" searches proliferated ("bridge collapse in minneapolis," "minnesota bridge collapse," "missississpi bridge collapse") and general locator queries like "mississippi river map" and "minnesota map" swept upwards. Later, the searches sharpened to terms like "35 w bridge," "35 w bridge collapse," and "interstate 35."

Regional news outlets absorbed a wave of online attention. Among the most sought-out, KARE 11, WCCO, KSTP, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune leapt in buzz. Demand for "minneapolis newspaper" and "mississippi newspapers" also rose.

Beyond news updates, many searchers went looking for live footage of the span's fatal giving-way. Queries for "bridge collapse video" and "minneapolis bridge collapse video" skyrocketed.

Now, as rescue attempts continue and investigators delve into the causes of the bridge's catastrophic failure, we will surely learn new details—and see many more searches. Stay tuned.

Filed under: Disasters, Transportation, News

If you're one of those people who mutter about SUVs clogging the road, don't read on -- or look up. Your worst nightmare may be cruising overhead sometime soon.

If New Mexico-based Eclipse Aviation has its way, thousands of SUVs with wings, or "microjets," may soon be zipping back and forth at 30,000 feet. Also called very light jets (VLJs), these minuscule planes seat five or six people, run on two engines, and can be manufactured at a fraction of the standard plane's price. Is that a bird? A plane? No, it's a Lexus!

On Monday, Eclipse broke ground on a new assembly plant, and buzz took to the skies. We logged search spikes on "microjet," "very light jets," "e500 jet," and "eclipse aviation." Enterprising types boosted "eclipse aviation stock symbol," and queries on "adam aircraft," another manufacturer, took off.

Concern over airspace congestion has the FAA and many pilots bristling. On the other hand, NASA backs the technology, and some analysts have gushed about the future of "air taxi" fleets. But before you start imagining yourself flying off to work like George Jetson, keep your eye on the road and that gas-guzzler ahead of you.

Filed under: Transportation, Aviation