It’s the cellphone age... do we really need to pay for call box upgrades?

Hey, local nation travelers: Who can recall seeing call boxes along highways in other states? Actually, who can recall seeing a call box along a highway in California? How many of us can recall seeing one along any Yuba-sutter highways?

There are fewer than there used to be and, soon, there will be fewer still. But they’re still there and they still will be there. And we’re wondering: why?

Granted, back in the day of no cell phones, when we had a breakdown at night on a remote portion of highway, it might have been nice, on the long trek to town, to come across a call box (if it was working) to be able to call for help.

But this is indeed the age of cellphones. In a story in the Monday edition, it was noted that because of cellphones, the need for call boxes has diminished and the Yuba-sutter area could lose a number of call boxes that are rarely used by the end of 2019. But not all of them.

That’s the recommendation of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, which is in charge of the regional program.

Since Verizon eliminated 3G cellular service, used by call boxes, the emergency phones either need to be eliminated or upgraded to 4G at a cost of $1,600 each (well above the price of the priciest smartphones).

“The Verizon announcement of the December 2019 shutdown of its 3G cellular network has been a catalyst for the CVR-SAFE (the Capitol Valley Regional Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways) to assess the remaining call box system and its relevance in a world where 95 percent of people have cell phones,” a SACOG official noted.

They decided to remove the majority of call boxes used fewer than five times in the year 2017. SACOG’S plan was approved by locals.

Sutter County will have 12 call boxes removed from Highways 99, 13 and 70. And 28 boxes throughout the county will be upgraded, apparently for a cost of $44,800.

Yuba County will remove 10 call boxes along Highways 65 and 70. And 24 will be updated at a cool $38,400.

It was noted in the story that by calling 511 toll free on a cellphone, motorists would go to the same call center they’d get if they were using a fixed-in-place call box. And get the same sort of service.

Put up signs about calling 511. Take out call boxes.

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We’ve had just a couple dozen respondents so far to our informal, online elections survey, but it will be up and running for a few weeks.

We created the survey to ask just a few very general questions and then give readers an opportunity to suggest issues and questions we should present to local candidates during the series of election forums the Appeal and the Chamber of Commerce are hosting.

So far, the majority considers local elections very important and all plan to vote. State politics? About 50/50 “very interesting” or “about the usual.” Most everyone believes that national politics is “very interesting.” Suggested questions, so far:

How can we clean up the streets and derelict properties – especially abandoned business buildings.

Do you support the effort to secure a bypass around Marysville and District 10? Do you support a serious review of the county budgets and expenditures by a volunteer voter group?

What are your views on outdoor cannabis grows? What are your views on large developments in the foothill area? What are your plans to support local business in the foothill area? ...

What are your plans for all the homeless camps on Shanghai Bend and the increase of thefts in the area?

What about pension liabilities? It’s easy to participate in the survey. Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/ r/18generals or just go to our website at appealdemocrat.com, click into the survey story at the top of the opening page and then click on the link.