Street Smarts
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact Ramona
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Ramona:
Street Smarts: Loopy traffic signal detector on Brommer, reader says
We who travel east on Brommer Street toward Capitola get stuck in the lane turning left onto 17th Avenue because the light doesn’t activate unless one’s car is very far forward in the left-turning lane. Cars stack up behind the hopeful l → Read More
Street Smarts: Black Friday shopping for new tires
I spent a portion of Black Friday waiting patiently in the frigid cold to take advantage of a deal on tires.For months now, I have been keeping a close eye on my tire tread wear. For awhile there, I thought I could hold out until the spring. Ho → Read More
Street Smarts: Avoiding farm vehicle mud on Hwy 129
Dear Street Smarts >> I commute to work using Highway 129 through Watsonville. Just east of Watsonville, field workers drive tractors and trucks across the road leaving huge chunks of mud on the roadway. These huge chunks are run over by automob → Read More
Street Smarts: Talking about neighborhood speed limit, child passenger safety
Dear Street Smarts: Who do I call to look into getting speed limit signs for our neighborhood street? Even though La Cuesta Drive in Scotts Valley is a dead-end road, cars zoom through. Thank you so much.— Jennifer Thiede, Scotts Val → Read More
Street Smarts: Vista point closed for enhancements
Dear Street Smarts: Do you know why the highway ‘vista area’ between Aptos and Watsonville is closed and if it’s ever going to be reopened? — Carole Turner, AptosA Effective Sept. 8, the closure is pa → Read More
Street Smarts: Offramp ploy not against law
Dear Street Smarts: I live in La Selva Beach, and nearly every morning at about 8 a.m., I make the short drive over to Larkin Valley to milk my cow. Most mornings at that time, the traffic heading in to Santa Cruz — and probabl → Read More
Street Smarts: Reader finds horn-synced vehicle alarms annoying
Q When did automakers get lazy and design cars to sound the horn when using a key fob to lock the car remotely? The California Driver Handbook’s page 54 states, “use your horn only when necessary to avoid collisions” and “h → Read More
Street Smarts: Sidewalk needed on Delaware, Swanton to Shaffer, reader says
Dear Street Smarts: I just returned from what used to be my favorite walk, leaving De Anza Mobile Home Park and walking on Delaware Street to the Natural Bridges back entrance. This has now become a pedestrian disaster waiting to happen. There are no → Read More
Street Smarts: Roundabouts plus stop sign are redundant
It seemed to me that in the past there was a three-way stop and the intersection of Second Street and Pacific Avenue. This is no longer the case and now has become a very dangerous intersection for turning left from Second onto Pacific towards the wha → Read More
Street Smarts: U-turns OK at Rio del Mar Blvd, Deer Park
Is it legal to make a U-turn on Rio del Mar Boulevard where cars come out of the Deer Park parking lot on the western most exit? It is frequently done but I always thought it was illegal.— Carole-Anne Byck, AptosA Officer → Read More
Street Smarts: Drivers know it’s illegal to block intersections
I’m sure this has already been discussed, but the traffic at the intersection of 41st Avenue and Clares Street is pretty heavy most days, with the freeway access so near. The real issue is that drivers ignore the yellow light and block the inte → Read More
Street Smarts: Drivers, pull to right to make turns, cyclist says
Two cars came close to crunching me on (my Aug. 14) bicycle commute because they didn’t drive into the bicycle lane first. One car turned right into a gas station just after I pulled onto the street from a driveway. At an intersection, another → Read More
Street Smarts: Talking clean RVs, back to school traffic safety
I was wondering if there is a place to wash a motor home in this county. I have checked all the [do it yourself] car wash places I can think of, and none of them have a bay tall enough for my motor home — 11 feet. I don’t have a lawn I c → Read More
Street Smarts: Talking clean RVs, back to school traffic safety
I was wondering if there is a place to wash a motor home in this county. I have checked all the [do it yourself] car wash places I can think of, and none of them have a bay tall enough for my motor home — 11 feet. I don’t have a lawn I c → Read More
Street Smarts: Turn signals are not a thing of the past
I noticed lately that only about 25 percent of the vehicles on the road now days use turn signals when making turns, changing lanes, merging, etc. I even see police, fire, and parking control vehicles not using their signals. Is it optional now days? → Read More
Street Smarts: Tsunami, fire evacuation routes on readers’ minds
Q Recently, a friend made me aware of a ‘tsunami evacuation route’ sign along 7th Avenue leading down Eddy Lane. As it turns out, Eddy Lane is a dead end street. What’s the thought behind this? Thanks, — A → Read More
Street Smarts: Railway at Riverside, Walker needs repair, readers say
At Riverside Drive/Highway 129 at Walker Street, when heading toward Highway 1, the railroad tracks stick up a good 3.5 inches.The impact on cars traveling the speed limit is jarring. Cars swerve over into the turn lane or the slow lane to avoi → Read More
Street Smarts: Highway 9 work to end in September
Q Can you give us an update on the repairs going on at the south end of Highway 9? I am curious if the late July opening date is still valid.Also, at one time, I think you mentioned that you were taking motorcycle training or had gotten your MC → Read More
Ramona Turner, Street Smarts: Discussing right turns at Highland, Mission
There are two turning options when coming off Highland onto Mission street. One can turn right and head west on Mission, or cross the lanes to take a U-turn and go toward downtown and Highway 1.When I take the U-Turn, I always pull to the left → Read More
Street Smarts: Busy roads on tap this week, through summer
Santa Cruz will start June with some traffic and parking issues related to events and construction.First, the AIDS/Life Cycle Bicycle Ride, which pulled into town from San Francisco Sunday will head out early Monday via Highway 1, en route to K → Read More