Ask TBC: Why aren't the 24th Street lights synchronized?
| Sunday, Sep 06 2009 12:00 PM
Last Updated Sunday, Sep 06 2009 12:00 PM
Q: According to the article I read previously in The Californian about the new signal light at 24th and L streets, the lights were to be synchronized with the lights at 24th and M streets.
On a daily basis I find myself irritated at the fact that "someone" did not do what they promised! Did I misread the article?
- Robin Acevedo
A: You did not misread it. The lights are not yet synchronized but soon will be, Caltrans spokeswoman Holly Vogel said Thursday.
She didn't have an exact date but was seeking out one. We'll keep everybody posted.
Q: I would like to know why vehicles are allowed to park on both sides of Ashe Road at the intersection of North Half Moon Drive (south of Ming Avenue) on Sunday mornings.
There are signs that read: "No Parking at Any Time." There is no "except Sunday" sign. Also, there are bike lanes on both sides which are completely blocked.
There is an evangelical Christian church at the intersection and cars obviously belong to churchgoers.
Does the city make an exception for churchgoers? Is this a violation of the separation of church and state? Would the city be so accommodating to members of a Muslim mosque? Or members of an atheist or agnostic meeting hall?
-- Forrest G. Wood
A: Bakersfield Police Detective Mary DeGeare said this is the first she's heard of the situation.
"Typically our limited parking enforcement resources are complaint driven and we have not had any complaints there that the traffic lieutenant was aware of," she wrote in an e-mail, adding: "No exceptions are made; we will take a look at it."
Q: Who is responsible for the maintenance of the north side of Stockdale Highway between Stine Road and North McDonald Way? The city in the recent past erected a concrete wall between the sidewalk and existing homes most likely as a sound barrier for the addition of an extra traffic lane. However, it appears since the wall was built there is very little clean up being done in the area, which has become an eyesore.
-- David Collins
A: Chris Lee of the city's code enforcement division took a recent drive to the site during his lunch hour. Lee believes the area between the sidewalk and masonry wall does indeed belong to the city and, if so, should have been maintained by the city. He's forwarding your message to the street maintenance staffer in charge of that area, so hopefully you'll see a change soon.
Q: What is being built at the River Walk other than the Target?
- Christine Aguirre
A: It's not clear yet what's going in at the new Target at River Walk on Stockdale Highway. The Californian's president and CEO spoke with the developer, Castle and Cooke, which told him there are no signed leases but the company is in talks with Panera Bread. Target is scheduled to open Oct. 11.
Q: Has anyone else in the northeast noticed the water bubbling up out of our streets?
This has been going on for the last couple years. California Water Service comes and puts up caution signs, then comes back anywhere from one to three weeks later to dig up the street to repair these leaks. Meanwhile, in an area where water is so precious, we lose a lot, not to mention the possibility of cave-ins occurring under the road from erosion.
The area I am talking about is on Fairfax, from Auburn to Panorama and on Panorama from Fairfax to Meadow Vista Court. I have counted at least nine patches on the road on Fairfax alone and some of these have been dug up more than once. This month, we have had three leaks on Panorama and one on Rancho Sierra. At this point, it probably would have been cheaper to replace the whole thing.
- Cindy Hall
A: Tim Treloar of Cal Water answered the question:
"We very recently repaired three service leaks in this area, and have one service leak pending, which is scheduled to be repaired by Friday.
"We utilize a code system, rating leaks from code 1 (minor leak) to code 4 (major leak, property damage potential, lots of water). These leaks in the Panorama area have all been internally classed as code 1s. It can take up to two-three weeks to schedule repairs, making certain permits are obtained, and USA Dig Alert is notified (so other utilities have time to mark the location of their particular utility pipes, conduits, etc.).
"Our crews may potentially encounter high pressure gas and oil lines, underground power, telephone, fiber optic, cable, gas, etc. Unless it is an emergency, we don't just start digging up the street. There is a protocol we follow in order to assure the safety of the repair work for our employees and the public. We do realize that there is some apparent water waste, but typically the code 1 leaks run less than 1 gallon per minute, although to a water conscious customer, this can be a lot of water.
"Our engineering department is initiating a more in-depth look at the service material in this area. We are sending representative samples of the failed material to engineering for their analysis. It's apparent that some of the service material in this area is not holding up well, and not lasting as long as anticipated."
Q: An eyesore has developed on the east side of Oswell between Auburn and Columbus across from the Green Frog Market. A windowless building has been under various phases of construction for a long time. No recent activity has occurred except for an increase in ongoing graffiti and the growth of weeds. Why isn’t the owner required to paint over the graffiti and remove the weeds? What type of business is due to eventually be there?
- Darlyn Baker
A: In what may turn out to be an encouraging sign, three men were working inside the building site on Friday, though graffiti was still present on the outside wall. Construction foreman Jose Nevarez said there was a delay in the work caused by changes in the plumbing, but that the construction effort is now back on track.
Workers have repeatedly painted over graffiti but taggers often come back the next day, Nevarez said. He said they would take care of the most recent graffiti tags.
The building will eventually house offices.
Q: I would like to know who's paying for the signal light at Wible & Barber Way. Barber Way is only one block long. At $30,000, I hope it's Barber Honda and not us taxpayers.
-- Fred Evenson
A: About 90 percent of the cost of the Wible and Barber signal installed on Aug. 26 was funded through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program. The remainder of the $200,000 cost (maintenance and electricity runs about $2,600 per year thereafter) came via the Regional Traffic Impact Fee Program, fees collected from developers to mitigate increased traffic, according to Ryan Starbuck, a traffic engineer with the city of Bakersfield.
The city of Bakersfield installs about eight new signals per year, based on traffic volume.
Ask The Californian appears on Mondays. Submit questions to asktbc@bakersfield.com or to The Bakersfield Californian, c/o Christine Bedell, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302.
