The on-ramp from University to northbound Highway 101, before the barriers were installed.
Q: My dad has been following your column and writing to you since the ’90s. He is a driving enthusiast and has taught over 40 family members how to drive, and instilled your impeccable wisdom onto me — that’s right, not a single ticket in my 17 years of driving.
He has since moved to Detroit but still follows your column. If you are reading this — hi, Dad!
I still live in the Bay Area and texted my dad a traffic question. He recommended I ask you instead.
I am merging onto Highway 101 north from a circular on-ramp at University Avenue that intersects with an off-ramp from 101 north. Who has the right of way? Before, I always gave the off-ramping car right of way because they are coming off the freeway at much faster speeds than I am on-ramping. But Caltrans decided to recently put up huge barriers at the merge, which makes it impossible for me to see cars coming down the straightaway in advance.
Rupa Amin
A: Tough to say, as it depends on the circumstances. Most patrol officers say the driver entering 101 should yield. These old cloverleaf interchanges are a pain. Santa Clara County’s new transportation tax will pay for some operational improvements on 101 but not anytime soon.
Q: Why is there no big freeway green sign on Highway 87 north for 101 south? There is one for the north, but not south.
Granted there is no direct ramp for that, but thinking of all new folks coming into San Jose from the airport, and wanting to go 101 south have no sign at all. I bet they are confounded and cuss a lot as they guess their way through the city entrance.
Sushil Patel, San Jose
A: You should take Brokaw Road east to get to 101 south.
Q: I know I am a bit late to the dance, but I wanted to weigh in on the hesitate or not debate with regard to green lights. The other day on an outing with my 6-year-old granddaughter securely buckled in her car seat, we waited patiently at a red light at Treewood Lane and Landess Avenue. As the light changed to green I instinctively lifted my foot from the brake while checking traffic on Landess.
Before proceeding across the intersection I glimpsed a gentleman in a green Prius barreling down Landess at easily 40 mph, running a fully red light, looking up only at the sound of my horn. It is not hyperbole to suggest that had I not hesitated a serious collision could have occurred.
When I asked my smart-beyond-her-years granddaughter what lesson we learned, she said, “Even if the light turns green, it still might not be safe to go!”
Barry Goldman-Hall, San Jose
A: I couldn’t have said it better.
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
