Q: I’ve started a new shift at work and am back in the thick of the morning commute. I take Highway 85 north at Saratoga Avenue, where onramp lights are on at 8 a.m. Traffic moves smoothly, until we get close to DeAnza Boulevard. Cars coming from DeAnza stream onto 85, clogging up the nicely moving traffic. Can Caltrans please turn on the DeAnza onramp lights?
Patti Wolf, Saratoga
A: A Caltrans maintenance crew is looking into this now. If the light is out, they will repair it.
Q: Are carpool stickers for people who don’t use FasTrak?
Gary M.
A: As more carpool lanes are converted to express lanes, you’ll need a FasTrak transponder to drive in these lanes.
Q: If you are really concerned about emissions and the environment and must have a car, you are doing best to purchase a used subcompact, something like a 3-litre ICE Chevy Metro. A little putt-putt like that gets over 35 mpg in town and over 45 mpg on the highway. Due to its age, much of its early life cycle cost has been ameliorated by time.
Mark Carbonaro, Monterey
A: A car like this has advantages, but EVs are still better for the environment.
Q: A test we gave our daughter as she learned to drive is that one Sunday morning, she had to get us from the dangerous maze in Emeryville (Powell Street) to Alameda. This was before they straightened out the signage for the divergence from Interstate 80 to 580, where drivers headed east from San Francisco had to merge with drivers coming from the Richmond Bridge, and drivers from both directions could have thought they had the right of way. My husband, no matter which direction he came from, believed he was always the one in the right. I thought I was going to be killed every time we hit that merge. He would put his foot in the gas and away we’d go!
After breakfast at Denny’s there, our daughter got the keys and was instructed to take us all to Alameda. She asked how to get there. I shushed hubby, instructed our daughter to figure it out and to drive, whenever she was ready.
She was FURIOUS with me, (as you might imagine!). I think we ended up on the Harrison offramp a few minutes later as she took a little time to adjust before she got us back on our way to Alameda. One of my prouder mothering days!
Sue Drese
A: Great story. And now, readers, I need your feedback again. Periodically, I’ll share some of the most memorable Roadshow stories from over the years. Which have been some of your favorites?
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀, 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘆: www.mercurynews.com
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗠𝗖𝗔,
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝘁 dmca@enspirers.com
