Toll on clean air vehicles is bid to cut solo CAV congestion

Q How did the decision come about to require clean air vehicles to pay a 50% toll to use the express lanes on Highway 237 instead of no toll as before? It is not clear of the purpose of the toll charge on CAVs when the incentive to get a CAV was to drive solo in carpool/express lanes.

— Rosalie Wang,

Fremont

A Too many drivers of electric cars were clogging up the 237 express lane. The number of clean air vehicles on 237 has increased tremendously over the years and is now about 40% of all vehicles in those lanes. Meanwhile, last year there was a decrease of about 2% (8,100 vehicles) of toll-paying customers on the 237 express lanes in comparison to 2017.

The rationale behind charging solo-driving CAVs a discount is to recognize these vehicles as carpool exempt, while still paying a share to use the express lanes as a solo driver, says the VTA. Tolls here can vary from 30 cents to as much as $8.

Similar rules will come on Highway 101 and Interstate 880 when express lanes are added there.

Q Can San Jose adjust the signals at Sunol and San Carlos streets?

With all the new housing built south of this intersection, there’s much more traffic for which the cycle is currently timed. This results in wasting precious time waiting for the movement of oncoming traffic before making a left turn. San Carlos traffic has a cycle of several minutes.

Can the San Jose DOT either lengthen the cycle to about 20 seconds or change this to a guarded left signal?

— Laura Winter,

San Jose

A Recent pavement and construction projects have damaged the loop detectors in the ground along Sunol Street, causing the detector to give the maximum green time regardless of demand. The city has adjusted the timing to shorten the maximum green times. Once the loops are repaired, the temporary timing changes will revert back to normal.

Regarding the incoming new development, the city has reviewed the proposed impact from the developers and is aware of the expected increase in traffic. Changes to the current timing plans are ready to go once the development is completed.

Q Regarding your “annual complaint” about the bad bump on Interstate 280 on the concrete slab over Permanente Creek in Los Altos, there is a simple workaround for most drivers.

In the slow lane, the bump is almost unnoticeable, and it gets worse and worse as you move toward the fast or No. 1 lane. So unless you simply must drive in the carpool lane, stay in a slow lane as you pass over the bump and then move to your preferred lane. I’ve been doing this for (unfortunately) years.

— Peter Ross,

San Jose

A Better news. Caltrans has repaired the worst bumps.