Dear Street Smarts,
Q: It seems like the work being done on Highway 17 (Santa Clara County) is at a standstill. There has been no visible work done on the north side center divide or road surface for a month or so. So what is and/or isn’t going on?
Thanks,
Buss Marple via email
A: Blame the weather, said Eli Mowbray, project manager for Pavex, the contractor performing the work.
“In between storms, we have been working on a few drainage systems off to the side of Highway 17,” he said. “We have also been finishing up some permanent erosion control as well as maintaining our temporary erosion control.”
The vast majority of remaining work – paving – is being held up because nighttime temperatures are too cold for the asphalt to dry, Mowbray said.
“In general, it needs to be about 50 degrees out in order to place AC Pavement,” he noted. “Typically, we won’t see these temperatures at night on Highway 17 until mid-April or May.”
When the weather does warm up and dry out, “we plan to repave almost three miles of roadway from the county line down past Idylwild Drive,” said Mowbray.
Once that’s complete, Pavex will install guard rails, signs and stripes, he said. The project is to wrap up in June.
Q: I am an ex-motorcyclist and an ex-bicyclist. It appears, now days, when either of these climbs on board, they take an attitude of entitlement. Most recently, driving through Felton, I passed a bicyclist racing through town without issue then was startled by a Cal Fire truck’s siren immediately behind me. I delayed enough for the cyclist to pull out of the fire department’s way, only to be attacked verbally by the cyclist that didn’t feel he had to stop for anybody.
George Bak, via email
A: “It doesn’t sound like your reader did anything wrong,” said officer Sarah Jackson, spokesperson for the CHP’s Aptos office. “I commend him for his consideration of the bicyclist.”
By the way, Jackson said, “bicyclists must stop for emergency vehicles. By not yielding properly, they place themselves at great risk and may delay emergency services.”
Pedestrians must yield, too, for that matter, she added.
Start Smart Scotts Valley
The California Highway Patrol and the Scotts Valley Police Department are teaming up to teach “Start Smart,” a driving program geared toward teens and their families.
Start Smart addresses traffic safety issues as they pertain to new drivers, including collision avoidance techniques, collision causing elements, driver responsibilities and local traffic collision trends. They’ll also hear testimonials from families whose children died in traffic collisions.
The course takes place 6-8 p.m. Friday, March 30 at the Scotts Valley Police Department in the City Hall Council Chambers.
For information and to reserve space for your family, call Lt. John Hohmann at (831) 440-5653.
