Traffic lights, road maintenance are main issues that bug drivers

Q I have to take issue with your comment that traffic lights are now more synchronized along major thoroughfares to allow greater flow.

My experience is that along many main arteries, lights are synchronized to stop traffic.

Any driver knows that once they hit a red light, then they’re going to stop at a number of red lights in a row.

That’s why you see some people take the situation into their own hands and speed off at the turn of a light in order to “beat” the synchronization .— Randy Balogh, Santa Clara

A

When I asked drivers what projects they want completed when infrastructure funds reach us, I was in for a surprise. Topping the list were smarter signals and pothole-free streets and freeways.

Yes, a new interchange at 101-880, an alternate to Highway 152 and a new connector from 580 to 680 were on the list, but traffic lights and road maintenance topped the list, by far.

For good reasons.

Take San Jose, for example, where about 15% of the city’s 951 signals have faulty detection on any given day.

“We have an aging and unreliable infrastructure that causes travel delays,” said Johnthe-City-DOT-chief. “Millions more in federal aid is needed.” Q When traveling east on Highway 4, keep both hands on the wheel going over Willow Pass.

There are some serious bumps and dips. … The I-680 overcrossing at Capital Avenue in San Jose is like a large speed bump, or maybe something the Dukes of Hazzard would have enjoyed. …

I am continually amazed at the crappy roads in Santa Clara County.

— Scott Wheeler, Pat McAuliffe, Dennis Farmer

and so many others … A I turned to the No. 1 expert in the state on these issues, retired state Sen. Jim Beall, who led the charge to approve Senate Bill 1, which included raising the gas tax to generate money to fix our roads.

“SB 1 was a ‘fix it first’ priority,” he said, ”and the projects paid for by the Biden infrastructure funds should be, as well.

The maintenance backlog gets more expensive if you let road conditions get worse by funding more expansion projects.

“Ribbon cuttings are great, but we have $50 billion in maintenance backlog in California. The worst are on the ready-togo list, projects that are ‘shovel ready.’ Advancing these would be good to avoid future costs. It’s common sense.”

Q

With all the renewed interest in roundabouts and their effectiveness in moving traffic, more of our infrastructure dollars should be directed toward adding more of them, and soon. — Dick McCombe,

Berkeley

A

Almost every city and agency is looking at roundabouts. It won’t happen fast, but it is on the list of improvements we need.