Beach traffic turns Highway 17 into a mess again: Roadshow
Plus, keep an eye on Caltrain's plans to extend to San Francisco's downtown transit center
Q: Someone needs to get the southbound entrance to Highway 17 closed on weekends! Drivers, stay on 17! Getting off at Camden or Lark is not going to save you any time! Really!!!
Cheryl Kole, Monte Sereno
A: This is a problem every summer as beach-bound traffic clogs Highway 17. Some drivers try to beat the backup by driving through Los Gatos but this does not save time. The best solution for beach-bound traffic is to leave early in the morning to get ahead of the crowd.
Q: Extending the Caltrain Peninsula Corridor into downtown San Francisco already sounds difficult. I’d love to see if and how it plays out, being an avid train fan, and knowing that the Caltrain is far from empty in the morning and evening.
I think the terminal being closer to Union Square would be a massive benefit from getting off the train and being faced with the options of walking or getting an Uber. However, I wonder what that could even look like, with all the buildings, infrastructure and skyscrapers in the way.
They tore up the tracks decades ago where passenger and freight trains street ran Embarcadero, in the days of the Southern Pacific Railroad, long before Caltrain. They are still working on the Muni light rail extension, a nightmare project on its own.
If they are trying to link the current line to the proposed and already-built California High Speed Rail transit center, next to the Salesforce building, the only option I can think of is going underground. Which means, if it comes to fruition, expect to not see any tracks being laid for another 20 years.
Ryan Calpito
A: This will be one of the most-watched projects over the next several years. It will cost a lot of money, but has the support of many transportation agencies.
Q: This isn’t exactly a traffic or roads issue, but I take Zanker Road north to work every day and I notice that many of the redwood trees along the street from Brokaw to Trimble are dead or dying. Any idea why, or what can be done about it?
Jerry Mack, San Jose
A: We typically see redwoods here struggling due to drought, said Colin-the-city-spokesman.
They don’t usually decline immediately from a lack of water. Instead, stress builds up over time and about five years after a drought, trees go into decline.
In many cases, the damage we now see was caused by the 2012-2016 drought. Also, our area’s dry local climate, heavy clay soil, and heavily built-out landscape make life tough for redwoods, which aren’t suited for an urban environment and require a lot of fog. Drought exacerbates their stress.
Look for Gary Richards at facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.