Held in the Scotts Valley high School parking lot, at 555 Glenwood Drive, participants will learn a variety of riding tips from six current and former motorcycle riding police officers with more than 100 years of combined experience.

Riders will learn things like defensive driving; clutch and throttle control; controlled braking; cornering; head and eye placement; hazard avoidance and much more.

Class size is limited to 16 riders, who will leave with a new found appreciation for riding, plus a T-shirt, a certificate of completion and lunch.

Participants must have a license to ride, plus come with their own bike and gear, including gloves and helmet.

The event is sponsored by Farmers Insurance, Surf City Coffee, Bell Helmets Rock Oil, We All Ride, Heidenau Tires, Sports Design, and Krazy Wraps.

For information, visit http://motorsquad.net/.

Q: The sign on Soquel Drive at Main Street in the Soquel Village indicates two lanes that can travel straight through the intersection of Soquel and Porter when you can only go straight through the intersection from the right hand lane. Because of this, many people line up in the left hand lane and force a merge into the right lane causing major backups in the right lane. The backups interfere with the intersection just south at Main and cause issues in front of the fire station between Main and Porter. Any body looking into this?

Chris Wolfe via email

A: The sign you speak of addresses the way traffic is supposed to flow through the intersection of Soquel at Main, said Jack Sohriakoff, senior civil engineer for county public works.

“The lane designation sign is for the westbound Soquel Drive approach to Main Street only which indicates left turns are allowed from the No. 1 through lane and right turns are allowed from the No. 2 through lane,” he said. “This sign is not intended to make any reference to the downstream left turn lane at Porter Street and only refers to the lane usage at the Main Street intersection.”

There are other signs along Soquel Drive between Main and Porter streets that provide further guidance as to where motorists should be for the direction they intend to go.

“New signage on the Soquel Drive approach was installed several months ago to help motorists become aware of the left turn only restriction in the number one lane at intersection with Porter Street and to inform them that through traffic must merge right,” Sohriakoff said.

Q: I understand the explanation; however, the signage at Main contributes to the confusion at Soquel in its effort to clear up what is happening at Main.

Thanks for your help,

Chris Wolfe via email

A: You’re welcome Chris. This area is a difficult situation. This question has appeared numerous times over the years in Street Smarts. While public works continues to look at this area and try to find a fix that works, do realize that there are drivers who know the dynamic of Soquel Village and are simply trying to get in front of the
pack.

I received an email from another reader this week regarding a totally different subject but along the lines of people not obeying the laws pertaining to the road. In essence he said, sometimes people simply do not follow the rules.

But that doesn’t mean we stop trying to find ways to get people to fall in line and make it clear what is expected of them.

This can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, thus increase the risk of a crash.

The recall is to begin by the end of June. company will notify owners and dealers will replace the tie rod assemblies. Maserati’s recall number is 205.

For information, call the company at 1-877-696-2737.

Learn more about this and other recalls from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

Ecology Action has been working with local car rental centers to add plug-in electric vehicles to their fleets. Hertz now has two for renters to choose from.

The addition of electric vehicle to car rental sites hopes to accommodate the environmentally minded, as well as those who are thinking about buying an all electric vehicle but want to try it out before taking the plunge.

The effort is part of Ecology Action’s PEV Access & Education campaign to provide access and education to local drivers. It’s funded by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District and sponsored by the City of Santa Cruz.

The news comes as the market for electric vehicle in the U.S. dramatically expands as drivers seeks to save money on gas and reduce their carbon emissions. In Santa Cruz, the city estimates 47 percent of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere comes from vehicle tailpipe emissions.

To facilitate easy travel for non-polluting plug-in electric vehicles, the Monterey Bay Area has more than 50 vehicle charging stations to serve plug-in electric vehicle users.

Ecology Action is joining The Monterey Bay Electric Vehicle Alliance in hosting a free workshop that aims to help people learn more about electric vehicles and whether that genre of car can fit into their lifestyles. The workshop is 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 27 at Ecology Action’s office, at 877 Cedar St., Santa Cruz.
For information, call Ecology Action at 425-5925.

Learn more about plug-in electric vehicles online at MBEVA.org.

Q: We are still waiting after three-plus years as to when electronic signs will be updated with pertinent information.

Bob Zimway via the Street Smart Blog

A: Right now, those signs are used to give information such as Amber Alerts, inform commuters about nasty traffic collisions up ahead and display safety messages.

As for using them to provide travel times to destinations like the San Jose International Airport or the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, “Unfortunately, generating the travel time data that is sometimes used on changeable message signs in other areas is very resource intensive and is beyond the scope of what we are currently considering,” said Tegan Speiser, of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.

Meanwhile, Street Smarts received a similar email from a reader who wanted to know the status of a proposed 511 service for information on local travel conditions.

That effort is full steam ahead, Speiser said. The RTC is working with the Transportation Agency for Monterey County on a 511 Traveler Information System.

Armed with grant money, the two agencies looked at creating a 511 system like that in the Sacramento or San Francisco Bay areas, but with a $500,000 to $800,000 price tag to start such a system up and another $200,000 to $400,000 to maintain and operate, other options are being looked at.

Right now, using Caltrans’ Quickmap is looking like the better, cost effective alternative.

Launched in July 2012, the Quickmap, which is accessible via computer or mobile device, provides all the features the original 511 systems spend millions of dollars to develop and maintain.

Quickmap uses a Google basemap to provide color-coded information about traffic speeds on highways and some arterial streets, while also giving information about lane closures, CHP-reported incidents, message signs and images from live traffic cameras. The Quickmap gives a statewide picture, giving travelers seamless information without consulting various 511 systems to plan ahead.

“It is now commonplace for large numbers of commuters to access traffic information and travel directions on their smart phones,” Speiser said. “Many commuters already access the RTC’s one-stop ‘Traffic Conditions’ webpage that has links to Quickmap, live traffic cameras, roadway resources and rideshare connections.

“The problem is that there are numerous different locations to access the various types of traveler information,” she continued. “A local 511 system would build upon the RTC’s ‘Traffic Conditions’ webpage to bring traveler information for our region into one location by upgrading and expanding online offerings. It would also provide an obvious point of access to critical transportation information during emergencies.”

And the resource could be online fairly soon. The project will be presented to both of the Monterey Bays transportation management agency boards this fall, with implementation being phased in soon after the details are finalized and approved.

From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., crews will work on the project, which includes the closure of the slow lane. Delays of up to 10 minutes should be expected.

Motorists are reminded to move over and slow down when driving through construction zones. It’s the law.

For traffic updates in Santa Cruz County, call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 568-0858 or visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm.

Q: I live across a small lagoon that has Highway 1 on one side and my road on the other. I can hear every motorcycle and car with low booming bass, trucks, and other loud vehicles.

My questions:

• Why don’t motorcycles have to have mufflers like automobiles do?
• Are there any measures being considered involving cars with the loud low bass players? I don’t know about decibel levels but I find them unnerving.
• Do personal trucks have different rules regarding mufflers?

I’m not one for wanting more laws but when it involves so many people, I’d love to see some restrictions on noise levels.

Thanks so much!

Marcella Greenwood via email

A: CHP officer Bradley Sadek weighed in on this one. Here’s his reply:

“According to the California Vehicle Code, motorcycles are subjected to the same exhaust requirements as other motor vehicles. Section 27150 states, in essence: Every motor vehicle subject to registration shall be equipped with an adequate muffler to prevent any excessive or unusual noise. The vehicle code goes a bit further in section 27150.1 by making it a violation to sell or install any exhaust system that doesn’t meet the requirements set forth in the vehicle code. The fact that the law exists does not mean everyone follows the law.”

In regard to your question regarding measures being taken to curb cars with loud low bass players,

“The vehicle code is also very clear on this issue as well,” he said. “Section 27007 makes it a violation for a vehicle to have amplified sound that can be heard from 50 feet away from the vehicle.”

Meanwhile, like motorcycles, personal trucks are subject to the same muffler requirements as passenger vehicles, he said.

Approaching Memorial Day holiday means higher gas prices

Memorial Day weekend is fast approaching and, as with each annual summer kick-off, gas prices are rising.
AAA of Northern California reports the price for a gallon of gas in the Golden State is $4.05, up three cents from last month’s report on April 9.

Still, that’s 30 cents less than California’s average price this time last year. Locally, gas in Santa Cruz County is at $4.01, up 10 cents from last month, the nonprofit reported.

If you’re planning to take a road trip soon, know that gas in popular destinations, like San Francisco, is an average of $4.13. It’s $4.09 in Los Angeles and $3.45 in Las Vegas. Be sure that the price to pump will likely tick higher by the time Memorial Day weekend arrives.

Where do you plan to visit the upcoming holiday weekend? How do you plan to get there?

Your reply may find itself in a future Street Smarts column.

The video, “Victims of Red Light Running: More than Statistics,” features several people from around the country talking about loved ones ripped from their lives by drivers who ran a red light. The video’s goal is to remind motorists about the importance of safe, responsible driving to reduce the number of traffic collisions on local roads.

“We share our daughter’s story, not just to memorialize her, but to remind drivers that what seems to be an inconsequential action can forever change countless lives,” said Paul Oberhauser, coalition co-chair, whose daughter Sarah was killed in 2002 when a driver crashed into her car after running a red light. “Losing a child brings unimaginable grief that no parent should have to experience.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 32,367 people died nationwide in traffic crashes in 2011, the non-profit cited. While this represents the lowest number of fatalities since 1949, it accounts for more than 88 deaths each day on the nation’s roads.

In Santa Cruz County, the coalition cited data from the University of California-Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System, which indicated there were eight fatal crashes and more than 500 injury crashes in 2011. Of those collisions, 19 percent were broadside collisions, the type of crash most often caused by red light running.

• 295,345 certain model year 2005-10 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2006-10 Jeep Commander vehicles are subject to recall because an electrical failure in the transfer case may cause the case to unintentionally shift into the neutral position. If this happens, the vehicle could roll away, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall is to begin in June and the recall campaign number is N23.
• 5,440 certain model year 2008-12 Jeep Wrangler right-hand drive vehicles have airbag clockspring assemblies that could experience broken airbag circuits. In the event of a collision, these driver-side airbags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. This recall is to begin this month. The recall campaign number is M31 and supersedes the a previous government recall 11V-528.
• 498 certain model year 2013 RAM 1500 trucks are being recalled because the coolant bypass valve may stick in a position that does not allow coolant to flow into the heater core. This could allow moisture or ice to build up, limiting the driver’s ability to see and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall is to begin in June. It’s recall campaign number is N25.

Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will fix the problems. For information, call the company at 1-800-247-9753.

Learn more about these and other recalls from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or www.safercar.gov.

But then, I think to myself that during the day, driving would be fine. But at night, darker windows increase the danger level because those folks who insist on wearing black at night would be even harder to see.

While I continue to ponder the pros and cons of after market window tinting, I asked Lt. John Hohmann of the Scotts Valley Police Department for his insights. Here’s what he said:

“My pet peeve,” he said. “The bottom line is that a film shall not be applied to any windows that are to the side or forward of the driver. This section came right out of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FVMSS 205) which are stringent standards relating to the manufacturing of all vehicles with respect to equipment requirements. Windows, on a new vehicle made by the manufacturer, have no film and according to medical authorities eliminate virtually all of the sun’s harmful rays. The simple truth is that after market window tint supplies no further protection.

“There are at least three compelling reasons why after market tinting is prohibited:
1. Tinted windows dangerously reduce a driver’s ability to see after dark.
2. Tinted windows make it difficult, if not impossible, for a driver wearing sunglasses to see adequately even during daylight hours.
3. Tinted windows can increase the possibility of accidents by eliminating eye contact between drivers.

“There is an exception to the law for those persons who need additional protection from the sun; however, the exception provides for temporary screening or louvers and does not permit the application of after market tinting material.”

Read up on California’s window tinting law online at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26708.htm.

Bicycle Observation Survey time

The Community Traffic Safety Coalition is gearing up for its annual Bicycle Observation Survey, which will take place between May 14 and June 6.

If you see someone sitting at a corner, keeping an eagle eye out for the ways cyclists behave on streets and sidewalks, as well as how they interact with other road users, chances are they are a survey taker.

If you would like to volunteer to help complete the survey, check out http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E094EAEA629AA8-bicycle2.

View last year’s survey results at http://www.sctrafficsafety.org/pdf_files/2012%20Bicycle%20Survey%20Report.pdf.