Speed trailers not slowing down drivers on Bird Avenue
Q Some drivers traveling south on Bird Avenue through
San Jose’s Willow Glen seem to be openly challenging the new speed radar signs, just seeing how fast they can go. Despite repeated attempts to have police come out to do some enforcement, nothing has changed. Is there anything else that can be done? — Paul Sawyer, San Jose A For most folks, the speed trailers act as a deterrent to speeding by reminding drivers to slow down when they see they are driving over the posted limit. While anyone can see how fast they are driving by observing their speedometer, a few may get some satisfaction by having their speed shown on a larger display.
The signs are temporary and are rotated on a limited basis. Bird Avenue is on the San Jose Police Department’s “radar” and the Traffic Enforcement Unit has worked it recently, issuing several citations near Minnesota Avenue.
But there are hundreds of requests throughout the city for traffic enforcement. Police will likely Q For years we have tried to get San Jose’s attention to the speeding on our street. Then they put a radar trailer here to show people their speeds. Is there any way that we can get results? — John Calvert, San Jose A No. These signs do not calculate overall speeds. make a return appearance soon. Q Hallelujah, the work on the Highway 92/ El Camino Real (82) interchange is well underway. But that prompts my question: Here were are in mid-July and the Crystal Springs Dam road is still not complete. This project was started back in late 2010, and the dam retrofit was completed in 2014.
Which project will be completed first, the bridge over the dam or the interchange? If I were a betting man, I’d bet on the interchange. The bridge either must be one of the engineering wonders of the world, or have the world’s worst project managers. Absolutely ridiculous. — John Quandt, Belmont A Whoa there, fella. The dam work is a complex job involving four separate projects that could only be completed one at a time.
Work began in 2010 to demolish the old bridge, which sat atop the Lower Crystal Springs Dam. This took six months and was completed in February 2011.
Then work began on the top of the dam, including increasing the height of the parapet wall by 9 feet. This was completed in May 2012.
Then came nearly four years to upgrade transmission systems adjacent to the dam.
Building a new bridge on the dam started Feb. 16, 2016, and should be done in January 2018. But, it will take until May of next year for PG&E to relocate overhead linesduring which time the bridge will remain closed. Whew!
As for the El CaminoHighway 92, it’ll be at least March 2018 before that new interchange is ready. And if it’s another wet winter, that timeline may be revised.