How to report broken or hidden highway signs, maintenance issues across Bay Area: Roadshow

Q: Who do we call or inform when we see broken, torn down, or obscured highway signs?

Diana T., San Jose

A: If the problem is on a California highway, report it to Caltrans. Look on the Caltrans website for “Submit a Customer Service Request,” https://csr.dot.ca.gov/index.php/Msrsubmit.

For a San Jose problem, go to “San Jose 311” on the city’s website, https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/customer-service/san-jos-311 or use their mobile app.

For San Francisco, submit service requests on the 311 online services page of their website at https://sf.gov/topics/311-online-services, or on their mobile app, SF311.

For Oakland, report an infrastructure emergency to OAK311 by calling (510) 615-5566. For non-emergencies, report the problem online at Oakland 311, https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/oak311.

For Santa Clara County, fill out a service request on the County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department website page, https://countyroads.sccgov.org/services/service-requests.

For Alameda County, fill out a service request on the Alameda County website at http://www.acgov.org/property/roads.htm.

For San Mateo County, go to the Roads page under the Public Works Department, https://www.smcgov.org/publicworks/roads.

For Contra Costa County, go to the Public Works Request Services page, https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/7875/Request-Services.

Other cities, counties and agencies also have ways to report problems (although it’s not always easy to find). Try this:

1. Go to the website for the city, county, or agency most likely to be responsible for fixing the problem.
2. Search for their Transportation or Public Works department.
3. Check there to see how to report problems like the one you’re reporting.
4. If they don’t tell you how to report problems, look for the Transportation or Public Works department’s contact information, then call or email them to report the problem.

Q: The suggestion in a recent column that we report obstacles in the bike lane by calling 311 is really impractical.

Try it and you’ll see what I mean. By the time you’ve gotten out your phone, called, listened to the initial announcement, chosen your language, been told to have paper and pen ready, and then finding them, listened to the menu of ten options, learning that none of them apply, going back to get the option for general information, and finally leaving your message, you’ve spent a full five minutes. You’re not going to bother to do that a second time.

What would help, though, is a dedicated phone number that travelers could call, or text, to report bike lane blockages. The shorter the time it takes, the better it would be.

Martin Delson

A: An excellent point, thanks. Your advice to make the process easy applies to reporting bike lane obstacles, and all other problems that agencies, counties and cities want people to report.

If the process isn’t easy and reliable, people won’t use it, and problems … and the risks they create…will go unreported.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.