Want to avoid taking Interstate 5? Highway 46 is a good alternative

Q I frequently drove Interstate 5 and have a solution for those who use it.

With improvements to Highway 46 and, using Lost Hills as a refueling stop,

I avoid the northern section of Interstate 5 and all of Highway 152. The drive is far safer and more pleasant.

That leaves about 60 miles of two-lane I-5, but eliminates about 75% of the northern portion, if you include the two-lane section of 152.

Google maps claims it takes 25 minutes longer and is 28 miles longer, but with my higher speed on 46, it only adds 10 minutes. — Rich Davis, San Jose

A

Rich knows both routes well. He estimates he has driven about 250,000 miles between San Jose and Southern California on I-5 or the 46 route over 10 years.

Q

I believe a big part of the problem on I-5 (and in Californa, in general) is signage.

Throughout California, signage says “Slower Traffic Keep Right.”

The problem is that it requires people to determine if they are “slower” traffic.

In some states, signage says, “Left Lane is for Passing Only.” It’s much clearer.

If you want to get around someone, move left, pass, and move right again as soon as possible.

— Heath B.

A

Caltrans has looked at this and thinks it would not help.

So while drivers can see if cars are stacking up behind them, some will not take this cue to move over to a lane that is more appropriate for their speed. Q It has been over a year since I used my Clipper card.

After my last Caltrain trip to San Francisco in 2020, I put more money on it.

Last week when I checked my balance, that last amount didn’t appear.

I called customer service and found that if you don’t have any activity within six months of loading money, that load goes out of your account and into a holding account.

The agent was able very quickly to get that amount transferred back into my account.

If I don’t use the Clipper card in the next six months, I will have to call back to get it reloaded again.

The agent said I could get it refunded, but that can’t be done so quickly. — Craig Foster, San Jose A Thank you for sharing your experience. The Clipper card is not deactivated if it goes unused for six months, as I mistakenly wrote last week.

Value added to one’s account does not show up on the card if it is not “picked up” within six months by a Clipper reader on one of the Bay Area transit systems.

A customer service agent can help you move value you paid for, but which is now dormant, back onto your card.