Calling for help on BART after rise in crime rate
Q While I am not very fond of public transportation, occasionally I have to take BART. With the recent attack led by 40-60 thugs, that’s it for me. Neighbors, friends and relatives have also made that decision. This along with the removal of more seats does it! ... We are not living in Japan where riders are packed in like sardines. Karen Burns Walnut Creek A This was a very scary incident, and the news that crime is up 22 percent at BART is alarming after it declined for three years. BART officials say security will be tightened.
If you see problems from foul odors to suspicious riders, report it to the station agent, contact BART customer service at 510-464-7134, BART police at 510-464-7000 or on Twitter at #SFBART.
Or try an app available for Apple and Google Android devices that will enable riders to more easily report crimes and suspicious activities. Go to www.bart.gov, as well as the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Riders can also send a text. There is a “one tap” button that will connect them with BART police by phone. Text reports may be sent anonymously. Q Along with Vasco Road, Kirker Pass Road is a death trap. Who was the genius who designed it and what civil engineers would even contemplate building such a dangerous passage? The road is way too steep and people keep riding their brakes and then there are slow moving (or fast moving) trucks to contend with. This road is a nightmare. Dawn Magnussen Walnut Creek A It may improve. Construction begins next year on a one-mile northbound truck climbing lane from the Concord Pavilion to Hess Road. More than 1,200 trucks run through this mountain road each day. The $18.6 million job will take one year. Q I usually go over Kirker Pass to get to Highway 4 and it is clear that Kirker Pass Road has become a dumping ground for trash for people who likely do not want to pay to go to the landfill in Pittsburg. It is very unsightly. There must have been about 10 separate piles of dumped trash on the side of the road between Clayton Road and the first traffic light on the Pittsburg side. Patrick Moore Concord A Not good. I’ve alerted county officials and they should be out when there is a good stretch of dry weather. Those steep hills are slippery when wet. Q I try to keep my tires inflated properly but I often forget to check the emergency spare in the trunk. It doesn’t do much good in an emergency if it is flat. One way that I remember is that every time there is a “Spare the Air” day I think “Air the Spare”. Jim Bodwin Cupertino A Whatever works.