Valley Fair, Santana Row crosswalk changes coming
QWhy haven’t the city fathers in San Jose insisted that the Valley Fair expansion underway include an elevated walkway over Stevens Creek Boulevard to Santana Row so thousands of pedestrians can have a protected walkway between the two shopping areas? This would also improve traffic through the intersection as cars will no longer need to stop for pedestrians.
AThis idea has been floated for nearly a decade but a raised crossing isn’t in the works. Here is what is coming: San Jose plans to double the number of north-south crosswalks from one to two, making them wider and more visible. The corners will be extended so people crossing the street no longer have to huddle on a pork chop island while they wait for the signal. Traffic signals also will be improved, with phases consolidated so that traffic can flow more smoothly through the area.
Not sure when this will happen, but those are the plans.
QI drive Interstate 880 south and exit Stevens Creek almost daily. There are three lanes that turn right and a huge sign that says no right on red. Yet I see numerous cars making that illegal right every morning. Is there any way we can get San Jose police to set up enforcement at that corner? — Ryan Kim, Fremont
ASgt. Mike-the-SJPDTraffic-Cop listens to Roadshow, and officers will make an appearance, he said. “It is an area that has enough collisions to warrant traffic enforcement. We will give that issue some attention.”
QI avoid the freeways during rush hour. But even in the middle of the day, I often find the northbound Interstate 280 can be interesting at the Saratoga Avenue exit. It is common in midday to see that the right-hand exit lane is a long row of stopped cars waiting to exit. I’m (usually) not a high-speed driver. So I should “keep right except to pass.” But that means driving, at 65 mph just a few feet left of that long row of cars going zero.
I find that scary. Especially because I’ve seen, more than once, one of those stopped drivers decide to give up on the Saratoga exit and pull out into the through-traffic.
So, in these circumstances, I tend to drive on the mostly open freeway in the middle lane of the three through lanes, keeping an empty lane between me and the stopped cars.
How bad a person am I for not keeping right? — Robert Ayers, San Jose
ANo Roadshow scolding today. You appear to be a good and sensible driver. Going with the flow of traffic 65 mph seems prudent in the No. 3 lane at off-peak times.