Queen: Clear the way for traffic

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Aug 3, 2008 | by The Queen

Queen: I love traveling to other states.

The King and I just returned from vacation in Colorado where we visited his brother in Fort Collins. We saw the Rockies, dozens of elk and, believe it or not, gas for $3.81 a gallon. It was awesome.

One thing I have to say for the residents of Colorado, they sure take their road signs seriously. Several of your average traffic signs were kicked up a notch with the added phrase "It's the law" tacked on at the end.

In downtown Denver and Fort Collins, I noticed bright yellow (nearly neon) signs that practically shouted at motorists, "Yield to pedestrians. It's the law." On the highway, there were also signs that said, "Move it out of traffic. It's the law." It took me a second, but they meant move minor accidents out of traffic.

The "Move it" campaign began in Colorado in 2002 as a way to keep traffic flowing through a particular highway construction area. Authorities wanted to familiarize "motorists with a Colorado law that requires drivers involved in minor accidents on interstates to move those vehicles immediately out of the traffic flow to a safe location," according to a Colorado Springs Web site.

Coincidentally, the Bay Area is embarking on a similar initiative to remind drivers to "Clear the way" after they get into a minor traffic accident.

"State law requires drivers who have been involved in an accident to move their vehicles out of traffic if no one was injured and the vehicles can be safely driven, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.

The Golden Gate Division of the CHP, along with Caltrans District 4 and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, or MTC, unveiled 15 new roadside advisory signs along Interstate 880 from 7th Street/ West Grand Avenue in Oakland to Industrial Parkway in Hayward.

The "Clear the Way" campaign is "being conducted along the Interstate 880 corridor between Oakland and Milpitas to test new strategies for improving freeway operations, and to measure the effectiveness of enhanced tools being used by the CHP, Caltrans and MTC to manage the Bay Area's freeway system," the release said.

Commuter: On July 22, I was driving east through the Caldecott Tunnel on Highway 24 on Tuesday night and hit the "rough road" where Caltrans is repaving. When I hit it, the drive train bearing in my rear suspension broke! For one thing, the signage is misleading -- "rough road" is an understatement -- and the sign was only visible AFTER I hit it!

Since I had to get this fixed for almost $600, can I bill Caltrans? If not, hopefully I can at least get the message out to people to be cautious on that stretch of road until the paving is complete. Thanks!

Allison Hennessy, cyberspace

Queen: Hmm, placing a warning sign after the alleged hazard seems less than helpful, at least to me.

If you feel that you have "lost money or property as a result of any action or inaction by Caltrans and your claim is for $5,000 or less," you can try to "bill" Caltrans by filing a claim form.

Allison, you can request a form be sent to you by regular mail by calling 510-286-5806, or you can download and print a form from the Caltrans District 4 Web site at www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/.> Claims must be filed within six months of the incident. The more information one can provide about the location, circumstances and damage, the better.

The claimant must provide two repair estimates with the form, and if there are photographs of the damage, be sure to include those as well. Once the form and supplemental documents have been reviewed, the case will be assigned a claim number and the file will be forwarded to a "claims officer."

When the investigation is complete, Caltrans will contact the claimant by mail. The Caltrans Web site says, "It is our practice, when possible, to complete an investigation within 90 days of acknowledging a claim."

Completed claim forms and supporting information can be mailed to: The California Department of Transportation, District 4 Claims Office, P.O. Box 23660, Oakland, CA 94623.

I hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.

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