Is El Camino’s worst problem the potholes or the red lights? Roadshow
'Why do I have to wait 90 seconds when there's no cross traffic?'
Q: El Camino Real from Mountain View to Palo Alto is a mess of potholes and getting worse. I’m sure the heavy truck traffic for large building projects hasn’t helped. … Which agency is responsible for repairs? … Driving that stretch is like driving a very old truck with a suspension that needs to be overhauled. … Every year we ask when Caltrans is going to repave El Camino from Sunnyvale to Woodside, and every year they say, “Oh, we’re going to do it next year.” Are they just giving us lip service? This road needed repairs 10 years ago
Doris Valladao, Rob Lenicheck, Henry Chase and zillions more
A: When are repairs coming? You will hate this answer: next year. This is perhaps the roughest road in the Bay Area, with 57% of the 231 lane-miles in distressed condition. But there is another problem on El Camino.
Q: The timing of lights on El Camino from Palo Alto to Los Gatos, particularly on weekends, causes extremely long delays with no traffic from the crossing directions. I have timed a few lights at upward of 1½ minutes, with long lines of idling cars on El Camino. There are also very long waits to make left turns. Does there need to be a retiming of the lights?
Michael Kamil, Stanford
A: Yes. A few years ago, Caltrans retimed the signals to give El Camino drivers priority by holding back traffic on side streets. They could be retimed during next year’s paving job.
Q: Fremont Avenue from Grant Road to the bridge over Stevens Creek Boulevard in Mountain View and sections of Miramonte Avenue from Cuesta Avenue to El Camino need repaving. Any good news about one or both of these?
Rich Burnley, Mountain View
A: Yes. Miramonte Avenue from Cuesta Drive to Castro Street is planned for reconstruction by fall 2022. The section from Castro Street to El Camino Real is in good condition and not yet scheduled for repaving. No word on when Fremont Avenue will get some work.
Q: I often see two different signs in parking lots that are reserved for (disabled) placard-eligible persons. What’s the difference between a sign that reads “Handicapped Parking Only” and one that reads “Handicapped Parking – Van Accessible”?
I’m assuming that if one does not have a van for wheelchair access, a standard handicapped placard would not be eligible to park there. Is that correct?
Tom Keel, El Dorado Hills
A: No. Anyone with a disabled placard can park there. The van notice is to alert those drivers that there is room for them to park in that space.
Join Gary Richards for an hour-long chat noon Wednesday at www.mercurynews.com/live-chats. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com or 408-920-5335.