Q: I look forward to readers’ input about Pedestrian Safety Month. In Los Altos, we have a troublesome new development.
The strip of Jardin at the back of Los Altos High School has been redesigned and remarked. Regrettably, not only is it confusing to drivers confronting the strange pattern, but it has eliminated the strip on the opposite side of the school for pedestrians. That strip has been used for decades without incident not only by students, but by locals for their morning and evening walks, with or without dogs. It is a safety issue created by the city.
Bob Sutis, Los Altos
A: Do others have concerns about this, or other spots, as pedestrians?
Q: Thanks for your recent story about Shoreline/Terra Bella. Mountain View Public Works sweats the small stuff, too.
A neighborhood tree was obscuring a stop sign at the corner of Bonita and Hans. A driver who could not see it blew through the intersection and almost nailed a pedestrian and another vehicle. I witnessed and reported it. I’d seen the obscuration earlier that day.
Mountain View Public Works trimmed the tree the next day.
John Joss
A: What seems like small stuff can be so important.
Q: I read readers’ recent complaints about no front license plates. Lots of people don’t want to drill holes in their front bumpers. They now make approved stick-on license plates, if you care to inform your readers: https://licenseplatewrap.com/
John Hamblin
A: I checked with the DMV to make sure these stick-on license plates are approved for use in CA, and they are.
Q: After reading about EV charging issues, I have a question. Why are charging stations close to the entrance of businesses? People who drive EV’s are most likely not disabled. Why don’t they put charging stations further away and maybe some of the problems people described would not happen?
Sam Vasquez
A: And…
Q: Thank you for shedding light on escalating problems associated with public charging stations. Setting aside reserved parking spaces in public lots that are off-limits to gas burners was a sensible practice when EVs made up a very small percentage of personal vehicles, but will be unsustainable as EV numbers increase.
The transition is going to take decades, and resentment over reserved parking spots will surely grow.
If ardent EV supporters want the transition to succeed, they need to acknowledge the real-world problems associated with slow electric fueling and support workable public policies.
As we work to confront climate change, we need to adopt new approaches to EV charging that do not impact equitable availability of parking spots.
Peter Douglas
A: That’s today’s last word.
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.