Q: Why do CHP, police, fire and municipalities vehicles sit and idle all the time? Modern cars are made well, so it can’t be a function of them not starting. It adds air pollution and wastes fuel. I don’t get it.
Paul Yamshon, San Ramon
A: In many cases, there’s necessary equipment in the vehicle that can continue to run only if the vehicle is idling.
There are also other factors. For example, police wear bulletproof vests that can weigh 25-30 pounds. Keeping the air conditioning on means they avoid the discomfort of getting into a hot car with heavy gear.
Q: My older BMW has a manual transmission, making it easy to turn the motor off at long traffic lights, saving gas and preventing smog. However, the headlights turn off as well, and I get many helpful headlight flashes or horn toots until I restart.
Thanks to all, but it isn’t necessary, as the car tells when a light is out.
David Roland
A: Good to know.
Q: If you drive 237 to 880, just before Dixon Landing at the metering light to 880, there are two tomato plants growing on top of the trash, about 10 yards apart from one another. Silver linings…
As for highway littering, I don’t see a lot of it during the day. It’s not commensurate with the amount of trash we see all over California, including on I-5 on the way to LA. Is there dumping taking place after hours, or what is the source of this trash? How does a kid’s pool tube end up on Highway 101 between Holly and Ralston, amongst other trash dumped there? And are all workers responsible for our roads back to work post-COVID lockdowns? There are also unabated high weeds (rows of them) very visible not only on our highways, but on our city medians. There’s tremendous overgrowth along the shoulders, as well.
Has our governor, or any Caltrans or other public official(s), presented a thoughtful, long-term plan for the growing trash and graffiti problems on our roadways and railway corridors (allocation of budget, Caltrans crews time devoted to issue, advertising Adopt-a-Highway, etc.)? We all need to do our part, but it starts with California pride and zero tolerance from our leaders.
Jeff Kenny
A: Governor Newsom has allocated millions to clean up freeways and streets. In the South Bay, for example, Caltrans work to be done soon includes three consecutive daytime closures of one lane on southbound Interstate 880 at The Alameda to the Stevens Creek I-280 overcrossing. This work will be done from September 12 to September 15. The lane closure is needed for Caltrans maintenance crews to perform scheduled highway clean-up and vegetation removal along I-280.
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Source: www.mercurynews.com