Both groups strive to make travel from point A to point B safer for all road users, including those who rely on sidewalks and bike paths to get to their destinations.

The groups have programs including bicycle education for school children and adults, as well as helmet and car seat giveaways. They also study the ways pedestrians and bicycles interact with automobiles.

The work group meets first, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the 2nd Street Café, between Main St and Rodriguez in Watsonville

Meanwhile, the traffic safety coalition will meet from 2-4 p.m. in the Solarium at 1060 Emeline Ave. in Santa Cruz.

For information about these two groups, visit www.sctrafficsafety.org or call Theresia Rogerson, the coalition’s coordinator, at (831) 454-4312 or Sarah Harmon, the work group’s coordinator, at (831) 454-5418.

“The House Transportation Committee will vote Thursday, Feb. 2, on whether to approve (the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act) or amend it to include bicycling and walking programs,” the organization posted on its website. “House leaders are exerting pressure to completely cut bicycling and walking out of transportation. Lawmakers seem to have gone through line-by-line to gut programs that make streets safer.”

According to the group, the bill would:

• Remove dedicated funding to Transportation Enhancements;
• Repeal the Safe Routes to School program, leaving communities without the basic tools and funding needed by kids heading to school;
• Eliminate bicycle, pedestrian and Safe Routes to School coordinators in state transportation agencies; and
• Allow states to build bridges without safe access for cyclists and pedestrians.

Find your representative and submit an online form letter  at http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/7093/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9331.

Manufacturer: Mazda Motor Corp
Vehicle model(s): 2001-2002 Mazda Tributes made between April 2000 and July 2002.
Number of units recalled: 52,390
The problem: The brake master cylinder reservoir cap can leak brake fluid, which could come into contact with the antilock brake system module wiring harness connector. This can cause corrosion in the electrical connector, leading to smoking, melting or even a fire.
The remedy: Mazda will notify owners and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder reservoir cap and modify the brake system for free. Until the repairs are made, vehicle owners should store their vehicle outside. The safety recall number is 6712A.
For information: Vehicle owners can contact the company’s customer assistance center at (800) 222-5500.

More information also is available by calling the National Highway Traffic safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236 or go online to www.safercar.gov.

Q: Love your column. I learn a lot each time I read it. Question: The ‘No Right Turn on Red’ sign at the intersection from Paul Sweet Road onto Soquel Drive is difficult to see. This route is often used as a short cut from Highway 17 to avoid the Fishhook. Any chance we can get a sign that has more visibility?

Annie Tokarz

A: There are actually two “No Turn on Red” signs on Paul Sweet Road at Soquel Drive, according to Caltrans. Both are in good condition, standard sized and “adequately visible.”

Mark Bewley, sign coordinator for Caltrans District 5, is waiting for a traffic accident report for the intersection to see “if there is a trend of accidents” involving traffic making right turns when the signal light is red there.

If there is, “a larger size sign will be a possible recommendation,” he said.

Stay tuned for the completion of his investigation and if any changes are warranted.

Q: Just for the record, Annie Tokarz (Jan. 23 Street Smarts) is certainly not the only one to notice the problem with the lights by the Silver Spur on Soquel Drive! In fact, I believe I wrote you about them a few years ago. But since I can’t find that email in my files, perhaps my memory is faulty, so writing once more.

My husband and I experience the lights not as much as drivers as we do as pedestrians, because we live so close that we usually walk to the Spur. It was a scary crossing before the lights were installed but the lights have not really improved the situation for pedestrians. The vehicles often move when the more distant light turns green and the pedestrian signal says it’s safe to cross. So we have to be extremely aware and try to look drivers in the eye and be sure they see us.

As for drivers, and I have experienced it myself, most of us have rightly trained ourselves to take the larger view of our surroundings, and I found myself moving forward with the wrong light just a few weeks ago in spite of my intimate knowledge of the problem. I do think there is a problem to be fixed there — somehow. Maybe a flashing crosswalk like there is in Soquel Village where somebody got killed. I suppose that has to happen first.

Sincerely,

Joanne Tanner via email

A: Thank you to everyone who wrote in about this issue. Street Smarts forwarded all emails on this topic to county public works, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and the Community Traffic Safety Coalition in the hopes a brainstorming session will come up with something to solve this problem. If you could fix this problem at these intersections, how would you do it? Meanwhile, stay tuned for the official fix.

Sustainable transportation concepts addressed by RTC television show

Including sustainable transportation programs and projects in the upcoming long range Regional Transportation Plan is the subject of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s Transportation Cafe show, which begins airing today at 2 p.m. on Community Television, Comcast Channel 25 and Charter Channel 71.

The goals and policies set in the plan will guide funding priorities for the next 20 years. During the next few months, the community will have an opportunity to provide input on the plan both online and at public hearings.

The show also includes a segment on the projects selected to receive about $10 million in state transportation funding during the next five years. For information, visit http://sccrtc.org/news/2012-regional-transportation-improvement-program-rtip-adopted/.

View the Transportation Café online YouTube at http://bit.ly/wu3Nzo, on Community Television at http://www.communitytv.org/ or on the RTC website at www.sccrtc.org.
For more televised dates, call the RTC at (831) 460-3200 or Community Television at (831) 425-8848, or visit the above websites.

Don’t fret, your wishes may still be honored, according to Ask George, the DMV’s weekly transportation column that seeks to answer frequently asked questions.

“As of 2006, the DMV implemented a new system for organ donation,” according to the column. “In the past, when the sticker fell off there was no system to check if the owner was a registered donor, leaving grieving families with a very difficult decision.”

Since 2006, the organ donor registration has been sent to Donate Life California, the DMV’s partner organ donor registry. Meanwhile the sticker is now located under the laminate of newer driver’s licenses and IDs

To check to see you you are still listed as an organ donor, visit www.DonateLifeCA.org and click “Sign Me Up Now.” Input your license or ID number so the next time you’re up for a new license or ID, it will come with the laminated sticker.

Learn more about the program at www.DMV.ca.gov. Click “Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.”

Q: I live on Grover Lane, a small one-way street with the only access off Mission Street via Towne Terrace. Prior to the repaving of Mission Street, the double yellow line on Mission was broken to allow access to Towne Terrace. Subsequent to the repaving, the double yellow line is unbroken. We are concerned that turning from Mission over the double yellow to access Towne could result in a ticket.

Could you please find out for us why all the other streets accessed from Mission have a broken line but Towne does not. Also, what are the ramifications for turning across the double line.

Thanks,

Karen Pappas, Santa Cruz

A: Broken line or no broken line, you still have access from Mission.

“In spite of no opening in the line, Vehicle Code Section 21460(d) allows for a left turn to be made across a single set of double yellow lines at an intersection or into a driveway,” said Steve Clark, deputy chief of the Santa Cruz Police Department. “If there are two sets of double yellow lines more than two feet wide, this would constitute a ‘painted island,’ which is not legal to cross under section 21651 of the Vehicle Code.”

Simply put, a single set of double yellow lines means it is OK to make a left turn; two sets of double yellow indicates a left turn is not allowed, Clark said.

“I actually went out to the Mission and Towne Terrace intersection to get eyes on it before responding,” he said. “This intersection has only one set of double yellow lines and would be perfectly legal to turn left across.”

Dear Street Smarts,

• I’m writing in regard to the article posted on 1/23/12 regarding the lights in front of the Silver Spur. I live off Dover Drive, a cross street of Soquel, and stop at that same light every morning. Often, when my left hand signal turns green, somebody on Soquel sees my green light and partially runs the first red light then stops in the middle of the intersection. Sometimes people don’t realize their first light is red and drive all the way through. I have nearly been hit several times. Public works mentioned this is the first they have heard of this issue. I witness confused drivers several times a month. Public works also mentioned the size of the car makes the difference when viewing the light. This does not sit well. I do not want to be hit by a cement truck or a Porsche. Thank you for addressing this issue, Chris Hanson
• I live off Dover Drive, and have often seen drivers jump the light at Dover when I get a green light to turn left from Dover onto Soquel Drive – particularly scary on my bike, but at least I can stop quickly. It’s clear that the drivers stopped on Soquel are responding to the green light at Mattison and haven’t noticed that the light right above them is still red. My husband has seen this happen numerous times as well. He’s also seen people jump the light at Mattison coming from the other direction, which makes them even harder to see turning from Dover Drive, though happens much less frequently. Thanks for attending to this problem, Michelle Y. Merrill
• Just because only one person registered a complaint does not mean only one driver has been confused by the two signals at Mattison and Soquel. I have come close to going through at the wrong time more than once. I don’t go there often enough to be familiar with it. Perhaps a sign could forewarn drivers in some way. Judy Belden
• ‘”Your request will have to wait because after nearly four years of operation, yours in the first complaint he has received regarding this issue,” he said.’ I strongly doubt that. I complained to Santa Cruz PD about this. On three occasions, I have seen vehicles stopped on Soquel start to go while cars on Dover start to make their left onto Soquel. One SUV completely ran his red light probably because he was confused by the second green. Lance Vera
• I just read your column about the street lights on Soquel Drive and Dover and Mattison. I, too, see ‘double’ when I am driving up to and through those signals. I just called Jack Sohriakoff to let him know that your reader who wrote the original letter was not the only person this happens to. Hopefully, others will contact him as well to let him know and, hopefully, the county will do something about it. Liz Reid

Manufacturer: Kia Motors
Vehicle model(s): 2006-08 Kia Optima vehicles made from Sept. 29, 2005 through Jan. 29, 2008 and 2007-08 Kia Rondo vehicles made Sept. 13, 2006 to March 21, 2008.
Number of units recalled: 145,755
The problem: The driver’s side air bag may not deploy in a crash because the clock spring contact assembly can be damaged over time, meaning increased risk of injury to the driver.
The remedy: Kia will notify vehicle owners and dealers will replace the air bag clock spring contact assembly as necessary for free. The recall is to begin in March.
For information: Kia vehicle owners can contact the company’s customer assistance center at (800) 333-4542. They also can reach out to the National Highway Traffic safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236 or go online to www.safercar.gov.

Q: Love your column. I learn a lot each time I read it.

The traffic lights in front of the Silver Spur Restaurant: There are two sets of lights within 25 meters. They are so close, often drivers fail to see the first light and take off when the second light turns green. Is there a some way to make the sequence of the lights more driver friendly?

Thanks,

Annie Tokarz, via email

A: Your request is going to have to wait, “for now,” said Jack Sohriakoff, senior civil engineer for county public works.

The signal heads at Soquel Drive at Dover Drive and Mattison Lane are lined up so that motorists cannot see the lights at the next intersection, he said. However, the size of a driver’s vehicle is what actually determines what drivers see, he added.

“There are many types and sizes of vehicles that we must accommodate from garbage trucks and semis to Porches,” said Sohriakoff. “There will be some overlap in vision of these lights depending on what kind of vehicle you are driving.”

Your request will have to wait because after nearly four years of operation, yours in the first complaint he has received regarding this issue, he said.

“I can’t justify the need to adjust these based upon one complaint — and it is somewhat complex and expensive,” said Sohriakoff. “So, I will hold off for now.”

AARP Driver Safety Program readies for February courses

Older drivers interested in the latest traffic laws and the ways aging impacts their driving abilities can sign up for AARP Driver Safety Program courses offered in Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

Below are the dates, times and locations of courses offered in early February.

• 12:30 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 4 and 11 at the Louden Nelson Senior Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. Total class time: 8 hours.
• 12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 and Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Watsonville Adult Education campus, 294 Green Valley Road, Watsonville.

Completing the course may make participants eligible for a discount of up to 10 percent on their automobile insurance among participating insurers. Participants must attend both days – a total of eight hours – listed at each site to get the discount.

Meanwhile, a four hour refresher course is offered 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Louden Nelson Senior Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

Cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members.

The course is also offered online for $15.95 for AARP members and $19.95 for non-members.

To register for the AARP Driver Safety course in Santa Cruz, call (831) 426-6472; in Watsonville, call (831) 724-1873.

For information or to take the course online, visit http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/transportation/info-05-2010/why-take-a-driver-safety-course.html.