Q: In contrast to many others, I love the road diet on Hillsdale Avenue in San Jose. I cannot drive and cycling is my only method of independent transportation. Making Hillsdale-Capitol accessible to bicycles opens up a lot of territory for me.
That said, better signage might correct two problems. The first is adjacent to Cherry (Paul Moore) Park where a food truck frequently parks near the bike path. Patrons line up there and block the bike lane and customers park illegally. I don’t wish to cause economic hardship to the vendor or gastronomic hardship to customers, but I suggest that the vendor post a sign (e.g. “Don’t block the bike lane”). The city might also post a sign or restripe the 45-degree angled spaces that people mistake for parking places.
The other problem is that some people mistake the dedicated bike lane as an exit from a 24-hour diner. Better signage might help.
— Kary Lynch, San Jose
A: I’ll forward your suggestion to the city. I’m sure they’ll also appreciate the accolades.
Q: What is going on with roadwork on Buchanan Road between Pittsburg and Antioch? I have watched and waited for this section of road to be finished for at least three years. They did underground work, patched trenches and then everything sat another two years until temporary patches got so bad and bumpy that they came back and repaired the patches to at least make it driveable again.
This road should have been completed long ago. Barricades are still there and nothing is being done to complete this vital road.
When will this project be completed? As a taxpayer, I think this is a total disgrace.
— Anthony Siino
A: Unfortunately, no word on when the project will be completed. Pittsburg Public Works reports that Buchanan Road widening is a requirement of the developer involved in the Tuscany Meadows development in this area. Delays were caused by unforeseen utility conflicts requiring redesign of private utilities. The city of Pittsburg is communicating with the developer, trying to assist in resolving the conflict so construction can resume.
Q: The best way to avoid card skimmers is to only use card terminals with a “tap to pay” option. If you’re using a debit card, never input your PIN. Use the “bypass PIN” option. When you’re in a retail store, always tell the cashier to run your transaction as credit and remember, no PIN!
— Mark Carbonaro
A: And …
Q: Before I insert my card at my bank’s ATM or elsewhere, I test the equipment with a good tug. Skimmers are inserted in the regular card reader for a few hours and later retrieved to avoid detection.
— Gwynne Willison
A: Thanks for the advice.
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
