Cows in Berkeley? Move over for cattle
Q
Hey Hey Hey Mr. Roadshow. Here’s a topic for you — for a slow day. — Ron Chun, Los Altos
A
There are no slow days here. However, I’ve never received a question on this topic before, so let’s roll with it …
Q
Driving on Interstate 280 between Los Altos and Woodside, you pass the Dish at Stanford. And standing there watching everyone are hundreds of cows grazing on the hills.
It would be nice to know who’s putting those cows out there. What is the actual count of the herd size? The type of cows. And where they go at night and how they get there in the morning. And, if you’re psychic, the future of those cows. (Not everyone may want to know that.)
The reason for my questions? As a father, I’d love to annoy my kids and everyone else in the car with this information. — Ron Chun
A
You are my kind of dad! Keep the kids off-balance.
The cattle belong to a private company that leases some of the land from Stanford. About 300 of them arrive in December and leave in June. A new group comes in each year. The grazing cattle are mostly mixed breeds, which is why they don’t all look the same. And they help maintain the land by keeping the grass trimmed.
They’re young cattle recently weaned from their mothers. Eventually they’ll move on to a feedlot until they’re large enough for slaughter.
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Q
Due to the closure of North Tantau Avenue once again for the Apple Spaceship construction, traveling on Homestead Road toward Lawrence Expressway during the evening commute is harrowing to say the least. Apple workers are forced to exit from Swallow Drive and are turning left onto Homestead to get to Interstate 280. It’s even riskier for the large, gray Apple commuter buses trying to cross.
Starting at 5 p.m., it looks a real-life driving version of the Frogger video game. Any idea when North Tantau will reopen and put an end to this nightmare? It’s a debacle. — Beverly Freitas, San Jose
A
Around Aug. 1.
Q
Why does it take almost two months from the time of purchase of an electric car to getting the white sticker in hand? — Arun Venkatesan
A
The typical wait for a green or white sticker is two to three weeks. But the DMV has been flooded with people applying for the carpoollane perk.
The DMV issued 260,559 clean-air decals through June 1, up from 240,911 just a few weeks earlier. These stickers will expire in 2019, though legislation now pending could extend the deadline for several more years.
There is no cap on the number that can be issued.
Q
Can I drive in the carpool lane in an eligible vehicle without stickers, if I have already applied for them? — Arun Venkatesan
A
No, no, no.
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