Readers remember life and death of Alma Ribbs Wyckoff
QThank you for the mention of Alma Ribbs Wyckoff in Monday’s column. — Marilyn Sander, Campbell
AAlma and her unborn twins were killed on Highway 85 in 1996 in a head-on crash near Saratoga Av-enue by a drunk driver who veered across the median, which was then a 45-foot-wide strip of dirt with no protective barrier. Alma was seven months pregnant.
QAlma was my boss at a small company in 1992-1993. She was a wonderful person, wonderful boss. Her memorial service at Stanford was standing-room-only. She was well-loved by hundreds of people. I was so sad to learn of her death, and in such a terrible manner. We really need to throw the book at drunk drivers. — Marilyn Sander
AYes, we do. Now a drunk driver who causes a fatal accident and has a prior DUI on their record can be charged with murder. Alma’s death led Caltrans to adopt a new policy that added median barriers to 400 miles of highways throughout the state.
Now barriers are installed on high-volume freeways with medians up to 75 feet wide — nearly doubling the previous standard — which called for barriers only if a median was less than 46 feet wide or if the roadway had a high rate of crossover accidents.
The others who died before the median was installed on 85 were Carol Klamm of San Jose, who was killed instantly when a drunk driver crossed the median and hit her head on; Elizabeth Polyniak, who was killed when her car sideswiped another, darted through the median and rolled down an embankment; and 11-year-old Jessica Zhao, who died after her mother’s car was sideswiped, causing her to crash into an oncoming car near Interstate 280.
QOakland and San Francisco are among places limiting traffic on city streets, a change for the better for pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists. Is there any chance this idea will spread? — Fred Lin, Palo Alto
APossibly. Oakland has limited traffic on 74 streets during the pandemic. Here is what other cities are considering during the pandemic, and in some cases, after, as well:
• Burlingame: A pilot program to prioritize Carolan Avenue for neighborhood pedestrian and bicycle activities during the pandemic.
• Fremont: Placed advisory signs on local streets, asking drivers to slow to 20 mph, lowered some speed limits to 30 mph and posting electronic speed signs.
• San Mateo: There is no through traffic on East 39th, Derby, Hacienda, Fremont, and Monte Diablo, plus there are messages to slow down and pedestrian signal adjustments.
• San Jose: Pedestrian buttons at more than 100 intersections were disabled downtown and the signal to cross the street will activate automatically on a scheduled cycle. Changed the timing citywide of green lights to reduce speeding.
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