Changing carpool rules to three people per vehicle draws jeers
Q Changing the carpool to three passengers is insane. It will put more people in the regular lanes and very few in the carpool lanes. What are they thinking? — Steve Carter, Campbell
A They are thinking ahead, but this move would hit South Bay drivers hard since the average occupancy rate is only around 2.1 people per carpool in Santa Clara County. But it’s higher on Interstate 880 in Alameda County.
The only area with a three-person carpool requirement is Interstate 80 east of the Bay Bridge.
Q The problem with the HOV congestion is the one passenger “green cars.” Being a limo driver and driving up from the Monterey Peninsula, I get stuck in Highway 85 traffic all the time, and it’s the Prius or Tesla with just the driver clogging the roads. — Bryan Laws, Pebble Beach
A Drivers of electric cars make up 8 percent of carpool users, but the big problem is cheaters who sometimes can be as high as 24 percent.
Q Not to be snarky but changing the requirement for the number of passengers seems like a hopeless solution. If two passengers per car cannot be enforced by CHP, how will three?
The best solution is better enforcement. — Steve Brock, San Jose
A You are right. A proposal to raise fees for more CHP enforcement has been put on hold. Too bad.
Q Increasing the carpool number to three might really be an issue I wouldn’t support. Increase the charge at busy times. — Jenny Maloney
A That is maybe the best solution along with more enforcement. As more express lanes — I-80 and Interstate 880 in the East Bay, northbound Interstate 680 through Fremont and on highways 85 and 101 — are added, this will be easier to do.
Q Any chance something will be done soon with regards to the killer potholes on Interstate 880 past Mission Boulevard across from the Tesla factory?
Elon Musk is going to drive one of his shiny Model 3 vehicles off the Tesla factory grounds and two minutes later he’ll be on the shoulder with mangled tire rims. This road pit has been bad, bad, bad for well over five years. How about some love (i.e., road $$$) to fix this? — Tim Riener, Fremont
A Pothole repairs are coming, not only on the freeway but also on nearby Warren Avenue.
Caltrans will place density polyurethane beneath the ground at various spots along Warren, then pave those areas through the winter.
There will be nightly lane closures from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends. At least one lane will be opened at all times on Warren in both directions.
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