Q About cops parking in red zones, I can't tell you how many times my husband has not finished his breakfast, lunch or dinner because he had to run out to a call. Police officers in most areas don't get a lunch hour. They have to eat when they can. They can just be sitting down and have ordered their food and have to run out to a call. If they have to go to a parking garage to get their car, I hope it's not me waiting for help.

Karen Mace

Wife of an officer

A Me, too. I think we have more important things to fret about than a cop parked at a red curb while eating lunch.

Q The issue of police parking in red zones is just another case of folks getting worked up about something and expressing their righteous indignation because they have nothing better to get worked up about. This is a no-brainer.

Of course police need to have unobstructed and quick access to their cruisers. It makes no difference if they are actively investigating an incident or having coffee. It's what happens next. If a report comes in that they need to respond to, it's ridiculous to insist they have to walk a block back to their car. If you were the one in need, you'd want them to be able to respond as quickly as possible. Right?

Jeff Sprague



A Right.

Q Question for you. Twice in the past couple of weeks, the metering light at Marsh Road to northbound 101 has been stuck red for all three lanes. On a couple of occasions, I was in line when the metering light froze on red. Everyone waited, and waited and waited some more, before a brave soul "ran the red."

After that, everyone treated the light like it was a flashing red traffic light and took turns. What is the right thing to do here?

Jon Grodem

San Carlos

A Exactly what these good folks did. You can call Caltrans' metering hotline at 510-286-4531 to report stuff like this.

Q PG&E is replacing the gas pipeline along Junipero Serra Boulevard through the Stanford campus. Will Stanford require PG&E to repave the portion crossing campus? The portions of Junipero Serra that have been (hopefully temporarily) repaved are terribly bumpy, almost as bumpy as the steel trench plates now in place along much of the rest of this street.

Jeff Fenton

Menlo Park

A PG&E says that upon completion of the pipeline project, it will make the area as good as new. Paving could start this week and is expected to be done on an ongoing basis as work continues and weather allows between Branner and Saga roads and Campus Drive East.

These locations will have an area of 8-foot-wide new pavement and will be made level with the existing road. New striping, curbs and gutters will be done where needed.

Q There is a rumor that an overpass is going to be built to extend Charcot Road over Interstate 880 in San Jose. Is it true? Will those exiting on Brokaw Road be able to simply make a left onto Charcot, drive over 880 and turn right onto O'Toole instead of having to drive all the way down to Junction Avenue and head back where we came from? Cool.

Jill Prestigiacomo

San Jose

A Don't celebrate just yet. While the city has plans to extend Charcot over I-880, there is no funding to do the work. Studies show that there is just not enough room to directly connect an overpass to O'Toole. And there are no plans for an interchange from Charcot to I-880.
