Street Smarts blog - Latest Comments

Re: Bike Week Festivities kick off today at the MAH

kenith parker — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:23:02 -0000

Actually this is what i am expecting from this blog. Bike safety is should be considered as serious issue. Old bikes electronic equipments should be recycle to prevent damages.

Re: Skateboard rules vary from town to town

Matt Larsen — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:51:40 -0000

I skate my daughter to school as she rides her bike in the morning. I believe it's a great way to introduce my child to traffic laws while I have the flexability to jump off my board and grab her bike if she's not stopping fast enough at an intersection. I can also kind of stay inbetween her and traffic while keeping pace and communicating with her.

Re: Proper driving etiquette when the road adds a travel lane

Bob Zimway — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:28:30 -0000

we are still waiting after three-plus years as to when electronic signs will be updated with pertinent information.... http://www.santacruzlive.com/b...

Re: Bike Week Festivities kick off today at the MAH

Bob Zimway — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:28:04 -0000

am still waiting three-plus years as to when electronic signs will be updated with pertinent information.... http://www.santacruzlive.com/b...

Re: Improvements coming to River Street parking garage entrance, exits

Bob Zimway — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:27:16 -0000

still waiting after three-plus years as to when electronic signs will be updated with pertinent information.... http://www.santacruzlive.com/b...

Re: Why police officers can talk non-hands-free while driving

Concerned Citizen — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:07:50 -0000

wrong, wrong, wrong. I observed an officer today who was using a cell while driving, and very obviosly *not* in the course of his duties. It's currently unclear if this office was on or off duty. When I pulled up next to him and gave the (universal) talking on the phone sign, he sped away from me. I approached him a second time at the next light, and I was promptly flipped off. Vallejo california, you've got some explaining to do. Unmarked car, "police cruiser" metallic brownish-grey, Licence plate began with 6ZASV. Awaited outside the police substation on Amador Street fro 30 minutes for a Leutenant to come out and talk the situation over. Never showed, so I called back, told them they had thier chance, and I would take this to the press. Officers are not above the law, and certainly not above insults to the public. Writing an editorial to local paper this evening.

Re: Hwy 1 auxiliary lanes project involves more than freeway construction

Jacob Bernard — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:27:57 -0000

The RTC did a great thing by creating webpages for every school in the area providing people all the information regarding transportation choices.

Re: Passenger rail service planned for Santa Cruz County Rail line

Rick Biswell — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:36:58 -0000

I stupidly did not realize that Ryan Coonerty was chair of the Regional Transportation Commission. It might as well be Micah Posner or Mr. Rotkin. The rail part of the project is a boondoggle, supported by the same old politicians of this county, over and over again. Coonerty's piece (Sentinal April 14) does not address that this was presented to the public as a bike trail; I believe that few people knew it was for trains next to the bike trail. He smugly states: the publicly owned (line) is now a public resource. Get ready present and future taxpayers; as Coonerty implies, it's too late now.

Re: Cycling advice for riding up Murray Street hill

steve_piercy — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:17:50 -0000

I'm a bike advocate and I disagree somewhat with those you cited because there is another option that is often better and safer.

The best advice is to do whatever you feel safe and confident, is compliant with California Vehicle Code while riding a bicycle, and is courteous to all other users of the road to minimize conflict. Regardless of one's confidence or right to the road, bikers should never engage in conflict with aggressive drivers of 2-ton automobiles.

If a biker rides on the sidewalk, they should yield to pedestrians and be patient and courteous toward slower traffic.

If a biker rides on the roadway, drivers should be patient and courteous toward slower traffic.

On a narrow roadway like this stretch, sometimes the safest thing to do is to use the full lane so that car drivers are not tempted to zip around and squeeze bikers into the curb. This practice should be done according to one's own confidence and feeling of safety.

California Vehicle Code Section 21202 (a) (3) specifically addresses this situation.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vct...

21202. (a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

Re: Crosswalk painting to occur when weather dries, warms up

Jonson Matt — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:37:26 -0000

i want to paint my room.i have white tiles in my floor so what color may i use for my room? please tell me if possible.

Re: Cycling advice for riding up Murray Street hill

Robert — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:18:06 -0000

Awesome post, would love to hear more! https://civinomics.com/worksho...

Re: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, police are cracking down

Paul Erna — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:12:59 -0000

They ruled in LA today you can no longer use " was useing my GPS map"

I get why 400,000 every year are injured> http://zautos.com/distracted-d... One short text is the same as driving 100 yards blind

Re: SCPD funeral procession video goes viral

leeann — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:40:11 -0000

whaat happened to this video i cant find it anywhere anymore??

Re: Caltrans viaduct project calls for tree removal, drilling

Carter — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:15:11 -0000

How long will it take them to get their tree removal done?

Re: SVPD’s motorcycle training course returns

fire extinguisher signs — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 03:33:37 -0000

Those techniques include protecting driving, managed stopping, cornering, threat prevention, gear selection, clutch i465 black and accelerator control, road surface evaluation and head and eye placement.

Re: SVPD’s motorcycle training course returns

motarama helmets — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:44:27 -0000

It seems that Scott Valley is planning Motorcycle training course in this summer. I really think that we should take training of bike riding before ride it on highway roads. We should consider driving school for learning bike riding or also wear protective cloths.

Re: Passenger rail service planned for Santa Cruz County Rail line

HeSaid1 — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:48:12 -0000

Let's see how long this lasts as there are a few loopholes in RTC's contract with the State regarding whether they needed to "initiate" passenger service, and keep freight service--both of which are not binding to "maintaining" either. I predict, that once the rail trail is built, passenger and freight service will cease to exist.

Re: Dealing with school zone traffic scofflaws

HeSaid1 — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:29:16 -0000

Nota Bene: Kelly Newman is the mother who let her child walk into the middle of moving traffic (not in a crosswalk) at Mission Hill School and tried to sue the city and the driver, who supposedly "waved" or "nodded" the little girl on when she got hit. The lawsuit was denied. With that information, I would take any communication from her as self-involved or as an agenda for special interests using her situation as a pawn.

Traffic IS terrible at these situations and usually as a result of parents and children not caring for their own safety, much less for the safety of others. This happens from those who are
walking into the middle of the street, biking erratically, or driving in a selfish manner. The only solution is to have permanent crosswalk guards at appropriate times or even police, who can write tickets for all those involved in making these unsafe situations.

Re: First community meeting for proposed ‘rail trail’ is Monday

rick biswell — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:55:46 -0000

extreme cost to the taxpayer, poor ridership (look at san jose), bikes-peds adjacent to noisy trains, whistles (of course, neighbors welcome it in their backyards--see blogs), money taken only if a train is developed, redo of entire infrastructure, constant maintenance expenses, etc. new york needs mass transit, san francisco needs it but santa cruz county? Taxpayers--be careful and alert. This is a naked boondoggle.

Re: Caltrans viaduct project calls for tree removal, drilling

Terrence Flendersen — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:32:47 -0000

They are doing tree trimming in denver colorado all the time.. its kinda sad

Re: Gas prices edge lower in time for holiday travel season

http://cottageme.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:53:36 -0000

This is a very good article, I discovered your blog checking aol for a related subject matter and came to this

Re: Protect your bike to prevent bike thefts, report bike thieves

saimin — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:44:02 -0000

Most bicycles are stolen from homes, not off the street. Don't let up on your security when you bring your bike home.

Re: Pasatiempo pothole has got to go, reader says

Bob Zimway — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:53:55 -0000

when are you going to answer the question I've been asking for three years now? are the electronic highway signs along 1 and 17 going to have real, needed information instead of "slippery when wet" signs when it is raining?

Re: Headlight, fog light glare discomfort depends on age, gender

Bob Zimway — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:52:55 -0000

are you going to answer the question I've been asking for three years now? when are the electronic highway signs along 1 and 17 going to have real, needed information instead of "slippery when wet" signs when it is raining?

Re: Readers comment on recent Street Smarts topics

Bob Zimway — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 23:56:48 -0000