So I need to live in a shelter to get REAL ID? Roadshow
Q: I want to apply for a REAL ID in March but have discovered that because I am homeless and have no physical address that I cannot get a REAL ID. I was told to go to a shelter to live temporarily and then go to DMV and say I want the shelter’s address added to my vehicle registration.
I would have to go to all this trouble and pay for an address that will not be permanent. What is the purpose? Something needs to be changed to accommodate all the homeless people who are not homeless by choice. I have a P.O box. Can you help in getting something done about this?
Leticia Carbajal
A: The DMV can. A person who is homeless can apply for a REAL ID. The requirements are the same for all REAL ID applicants (proof of identity, proof of Social Security number, two proofs of California residency). For the proof of residency, the DMV allows applicants to provide a letter on letterhead from a homeless shelter, a shelter for abused women, a nonprofit entity, a faith-based organization, employer, or government agency within the United States attesting that you reside in California. You can provide a P.O. box to receive the card in the mail.
Q: I’ve lived in the Cupertino area since 1968 and watched traffic grow to maddening L.A.-like congestion. During that time, the I-280/Highway 85/Foothill Expressway interchange has been a dangerous mess, backing up traffic while setting up the potential for crashes. It also seems to have been that long since various government agencies promised solutions.
Oh, Mr. Roadshow, please rub your magic genie lamp and give us the truth: When will this evil intersection be rebuilt?
Howard Lewis, Cupertino
A: Soon, very soon.
Work could begin in April to widen the existing single-lane Foothill Expressway off-ramp to provide a two-lane exit ramp, to be completed in October. Work was delayed for two years because of a lawsuit over Measure B, a 30-year, ½-cent sales tax that was upheld last year, but a delay that added $1.3 million to the cost.
This job has environmental constraints that only allow construction from Apr. 15 to Oct. 15, and final funding will be approved at Thursday’s VTA board meeting.
Q: As a commuter on Interstate 880 to Interstate 280, I plead with you to let drivers know how incredibly dangerous the merge from 880 southbound to 280 northbound has become in the morning. Cars regularly lane-dive at the last second, often stopping in the next lane over, so traffic moving at full speed has to come to a screeching halt. Is there any way cones can be put up to prevent these last-minute lane changes?
Sandy Cardoza
A: Unlikely. Cones could cause more dangers. But the CHP has been known to pay visits to this area.
Join Gary Richards for an hourlong chat at noon Wednesday at www.mercurynews.com/live-chats. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.