Bond measure to help speed up LED lights on San Jose streets

Q: Slowly — very slowly — but surely, the new LED streetlights are being installed in San Jose to replace those awful yellow highpressure-sodium lights.

— Graham Haworth

A: Too slow for you and many others, but there is encouraging news. San Jose has plans and the money to convert 14,500 streetlights and lights in parks and on trails to LED lights. For the remaining 27,000 streetlights and 75,500 park and facilities lights, the city will enter into a deal with PG&E to cover the purchase and installation costs for new lights. The city will get $11.3 million for this from a bond measure approved recently. The city would gradually pay PG&E back through the cost savings from the more energy-efficient LED lights.

Q: Guess you do not drive much at night. Those new LED auto lights are way too bright and blind you. They reflect off the windshield more and illuminate the entire inside of the car. There is no way of turning your head away. A big problem. — Joe Ruk, San Jose

A: I get this complaint often, but federal safety officials say LED headlights have helped reduce accidents. Yes, they can be blinding to oncoming cars. The feds say they have also helped to improve visibility and safety.

Q: On Sept. 3, as I was crossing the railroad tracks in San Jose at East Taylor and Seventh streets in my power wheelchair, my chair got stuck and would not budge. I’ve crossed the tracks here daily for years. Over time, the asphalt pavement seems to have buckled enough to obstruct my chair. Within a couple of minutes of being trapped, a Route 62 VTA bus happened by and the gallant driver pulled his bus to the curb, got out and rescued me. He pushed my chair enough to free it from the buckled asphalt lip that trapped it on the tracks. I am eternally grateful for the awareness, goodwill and generosity of this heroic VTA driver.

I’ve noticed asphalt pavement buckling at wheelchair curb access points and railroad crossings around the city. It’s becoming more common and impedes wheelchair access, but also creates hazards for pedestrians, scooters, strollers, etc. Could you convince your connections to prioritize repairs to the crossing at East Taylor and Seventh? Can someone make sure that asphalt pavement does not buckle to this degree? By the way, this Union Pacific crossing was the location of a derailment in 2015. I first contacted Union Pacific in November of 2018 about the condition of this crossing, and again after getting stuck. Repairs have not started.

— Kathleen Smith,

San Jose

A: The railroad company is notorious for being slow in making repairs. Sometimes the city will come in and do the work, instead, and then be reimbursed. That may be our best bet in this case.