Atlanta commuters are mourning the untimely passing of Keith Kalland, Atlanta's beloved traffic reporter, who died of a heart attack on November 18, 2002. He was only 51. Kalland had lung surgery during the summer, and had just recently returned to his traffic duties. Even during his brief absence after his surgery, Atlanta commuters inundated the local FOX affiliate inquiring about him. When Kalland learned of all of the concern about his whereabouts, he was stunned about how much people cared. At least he knew he was appreciated by the local community before his untimely passing.

There was much to appreciate about Kalland's traffic reports. First and foremost, he was by far the most knowledgeable reporter regarding Atlanta traffic, especially when it came to taking alternative routes when the main arteries became clogged (in Atlanta almost a daily occurrence). He taught himself the city by endless drives around town, all on his own time. He had been a traffic reporter in Atlanta for 15 years, on radio, and more recently, television.

What made Kalland truly unique was the unusual lexicon that he used to describe Atlanta's hellish traffic, which was both humorous and completely original. For instance, those that lived in Gwinnett County were referred to by Kalland as "Gwenetians." He referred to the Georgia 400 highway as the "Alpharetta Autobahn." When unusual objects would find themselves in the middle of the road, Kalland would slip in one of his favorite words, "ubiquitous." And when the traffic was beyond hope, Kalland would declare, "This rush hour is done, you can stick a fork in it."

Kalland and his colorful traffic reports will be greatly missed by Atlanta commuters. He was truly one of a kind.