Why did the road sign in Hwy. 99 crash not detach?
Q Have you seen the pictures of the bus crash on Highway 99 near Livingston in which four people died? The sign pole was embedded into the bus two-thirds of the way through it. I always thought these signs were designed with a weak attachment to the ground so that they would break away in cases such as this, helping to minimize the amount of damage. But this sign pole didn’t budge, despite being hit by a full-size bus. What a tragedy.
Dave Ventura Manteca
A Overhead road signs, like the one struck near Livingston, are built so they won’t come down on lanes of traffic, which in this case could have led to another serious accident. They must have guardrails or a crash cushion to shield traffic. In this case, there was a guardrail barrier in front of the sign pole.
However, signs mounted on smaller posts — speed limit signs, merging signs or metering light signs, for example — are designed to break away when hit. Q Why are there are no traffic cameras at the Caldecott Tunnel that the public can view? There are cameras all over the place
A Any cameras used in tunnels are accessible only to law enforcement and tunnel management, and not open to public view because of security and Homeland Security issues.
Q What gives with that bike path stopping midway across the eastern span of the Bay Bridge? They say it is due to dismantling of the old bridge, but they have already dismantled near the entire area that is closed. That makes it hard to accept. When do they plan to open it?
Mary Conway San Leandro
A Later this summer. This is not due to the dismantling of the old Bay Bridge. The original truss of the bike path had been redesigned with a cantilever to better align with other aspects of the bridge. Authorities had to adjust the beams where the cable extends, and that is taking more time because they need to go around the cable.
Q I read the question about the downed signs at Interstate 280 and Foothill Expressway. I actually saw a lady drive off the road and plow down one of those signs. I called 911 and reported her license plate and description but never heard anything back.
Does Caltrans go after people for the cost of the signs? Hit and run?
Jim Bodwin Cupertino
A They can, but it’s not easy. Most knockdowns are hit-and-run incidents, and if no police report is filed, holding a driver financially responsible is difficult. But it can happen — and when it does, can cost the driver several hundred bucks.
Q You asked which is worse, road boulder or tailgater? A road boulder can be irritating and maybe inconvenient if you didn’t leave enough time to get to your destination. A tailgater is aggressive, rude and dangerous. No comparison! Becky Yoder A That’s the last word today.