Design changes could be coming to Bascom Avenue
Q Some of the worst streets to cross on foot are the eight- to 10lane streets (Bascom/Hamilton, try to walk it) where there are way too many lanes coming at pedestrians at once. I am not sure how we can solve the problem easily; people are trying to drive faster and faster and more recklessly, looking at their phones while they are navigating through intersections. — Richard Bernhardt
A Bascom Avenue is high on the Complete Streets list, which could mean fewer lanes, buses that have priority at signals, more coordinated signals, shorter crosswalks and easier access to nearby businesses and restaurants over a 5.9mile stretch from Interstate 880 to Highway 85.
Community meetings are scheduled next month to get feedback on preferred designs: March 27 at the Bascom Community Center, 1000 S. Bascom Ave., and March 28 at Farnham Elementary School, 15711 Woodard Road. Both begin at 6 p.m.
The study is scheduled to go before the VTA board this summer for approval. Q “Complete Streets” is just another euphemism for “We are going to force you out of your cars whether you like it or not.” Just like “road diet,” “smart growth,” etc. — Creighton Sneetly
A Now don’t be cynical.
Q Once a week I drive my twin grandchildren to preschool along San Tomas Expressway. To engage them in conversation, I often ask them to look for interesting things since I have to keep my eyes on the road. So one morning, my 5-year-old grandson spied a tiny sign on the side of the road and then we kept seeing more of them.
Of all the traffic issues you cover, I didn’t think I’d be asking you this simple question: What do these small signs mean? We saw at least 20 of them. They look like this — FO PB — usually black letters on a yellow background.
I told them you could probably solve the mystery, so they made me promise to email you. — Julie Hawkes A Grandma and I come through. The narrow orange markers mean Fiber Optic Pull Box and indicate that there’s a cable pulling vault within a few inches. Any other kid questions out there?
Q They shut the Richmond Bridge due to falling concrete. But no one has ever shut down the Caltrain overpass at The Alameda due to numerous pieces of concrete that have fallen off this old bridge. I’ve seen pieces that weighed several pounds laying under the overpass. Don’t we count? — Jim Schultz
A You sure do. Caltrain is aware of concerns at the overpass, but say incidents have been rare and do not affect the overall structural integrity of the bridge. They hope to have repairs completed before summer.