California

[roadman65]

Question about the planned Pit River Bridge.

If Caltrans decides to replace it, what will happen to the Union Pacific Rail line beneath it? I noticed it has a very active railroad beneath the freeway including Amtrak service.

[Max Rockatansky]

I was under the impression it would be retained for railroad use.

[pderocco]

The existing road could be turned into a viewpoint parking lot, and maybe a bungee jumping staging area. They wouldn't allow fishing, though--you might catch a train instead.

I wonder how often trains go through there. Years ago, I hung out at the north end of the big trestle over the river in Redding, hoping for a great train picture, but after an hour or so I got tired of waiting. Same for the Williams loop.

[Techknow]

Noticed a few days ago that the exit for 3rd Street off US 101 north in San Francisco is now mistakenly labeled on the overhead sign as "Exit 492B" and not 429B (the correct number on the gore point sign).

Yeah that's a weird typo, and it's been around for months (since last October at least). I kept forgetting to take a photo of it... until now!

[TJS23]

Yesterday I drove back from Oregon via 199 for the first time (beautiful highway) and then down to SF via Crescent City and Eureka for only the 2nd time in my life. During the drive I saw all the twisted to the side Chains Required signs which I actually remembered from ten years ago. Coincidentally, a large winter storm is coming to CA with extremely cold air which will lower the snow level to almost 500 feet in some places especially on that 101 corridor. Last time this happened a couple of years ago the highway was close north of Willits due to spin outs on the summit north of town. I wonder what will happen this time, it would be cool to see chains required on 101 but they will probably just close the highway a la grapevine. Any old timers ever seen a time when chains were actually required on 101?

[kkt]

I have not seen chains required on 101, but there are others here who have driven it more often than I have.  I've seen it frosty and icy.

[roadfro]

Random question: How long does it take for FasTrak to process a toll for a vehicle without a transponder? I was in the Bay Area for work yesterday, and I drove a rental car over the Carquinez Bridge. It had been a while since I'd driven eastbound on that bridge, and I had forgotten about the conversion to all electronic tolling. This morning, I set up a one-time payment account on the Bay Area FasTrak website, so hopefully that will cover it without getting the charge (and extra fee) from my rental car company. But I will also need to submit this toll charge for reimbursement through work, so was curious how long it might be until I get the receipt.

[Max Rockatansky]

About a month.  My wife forgot cash (this was when cash was still being taken) before COVID and we got a bill from using the eastbound Carquinez Bridge. 

[roadfro]

About a month.  My wife forgot cash (this was when cash was still being taken) before COVID and we got a bill from using the eastbound Carquinez Bridge.

A month!   I was hoping it'd be a week or so... I can't put off submitting the reimbursements that long.

I'll probably just eat the $7 then...I don't think I used the full meal per diem that day anyway, so I guess it still got covered in a way.

[cl94]

I was under the impression it would be retained for railroad use.

That's my impression as well. Structural issues aren't the issue as much as the feds want to dump ownership of the bridge onto UP. Currently, the Bureau of Reclamation owns the bridge and it is the only such structure on the Interstate system.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/NrjGfvymb9AkBP4m9
Google did a great job here in capturing the snow covered mountains near San Bernardino.

[wriddle082]

About a month.  My wife forgot cash (this was when cash was still being taken) before COVID and we got a bill from using the eastbound Carquinez Bridge.

A month!   I was hoping it'd be a week or so... I can't put off submitting the reimbursements that long.

I'll probably just eat the $7 then...I don't think I used the full meal per diem that day anyway, so I guess it still got covered in a way.

I just did the same thing.  Went to the FasTrak website and set up a one time account for a rental car.  Went over the Bay Bridge four times, and the Dumbarton Bridge once.  I think all of the charges were posted to my credit card within a week.

[pderocco]

I just did the same thing.  Went to the FasTrak website and set up a one time account for a rental car.  Went over the Bay Bridge four times, and the Dumbarton Bridge once.  I think all of the charges were posted to my credit card within a week.

They're good about billing you, but if you want to look at your account activity, you have to download a PDF with very curt abbreviations for everything. Lousy user interface.

[74/171FAN]

Well this crash on CA 118 just showed up in my feed.  I am unsure where to post it.

[roadfro]

About a month.  My wife forgot cash (this was when cash was still being taken) before COVID and we got a bill from using the eastbound Carquinez Bridge.

A month!   I was hoping it'd be a week or so... I can't put off submitting the reimbursements that long.

I'll probably just eat the $7 then...I don't think I used the full meal per diem that day anyway, so I guess it still got covered in a way.

I just did the same thing.  Went to the FasTrak website and set up a one time account for a rental car.  Went over the Bay Bridge four times, and the Dumbarton Bridge once.  I think all of the charges were posted to my credit card within a week.

I had forgotten to look, but it appears FasTrak charged my card within a week as well. Crossed the bridge on 3/8, posted about this and set up the one-time account on 3/9, charge posted to my credit card on 3/12.

They're good about billing you, but if you want to look at your account activity, you have to download a PDF with very curt abbreviations for everything. Lousy user interface.

That's the part that would seem challenging for reimbursement. I looked briefly this morning and didn't see a way to download a statement or activity from the one-time account.

I did end up not claiming the toll for reimbursement, as I had leftover per diem and figured I still came out a bit ahead.

[roadfro]

Well this crash on CA 118 just showed up in my feed.  I am unsure where to post it.

Geez, that's crazy!!

I wonder what caused that tire to pop off.    If it was something like a recent tire repair not fully tightening the nuts or something, there would be grounds for a law suit based on negligence.

[wriddle082]

^^ I gave FasTrak my corporate AMEX card info and was able to submit the charges in an expense report in Concur and get them approved and paid.  Since each charge was under a certain $ amount, a receipt or photo of one was not required.  I just put in what the charge was for in the comment box and allocated the charges to the projects I was working on in the East Bay.

[Max Rockatansky]

Well this crash on CA 118 just showed up in my feed.  I am unsure where to post it.

Geez, that's crazy!!

I wonder what caused that tire to pop off.    If it was something like a recent tire repair not fully tightening the nuts or something, there would be grounds for a law suit based on negligence.

It was caused by the truck driver using wheel spacers.

[sprjus4]

https://cdllife.com/2023/chp-reminds-truckers-to-follow-maximum-cmv-speed-limit-of-55-m-p-h/

California is very proud of their 55 mph truck speed limit, particularly the police bragging about ticketing a trucker doing 73 mph in a posted 65 mph or 70 mph area for cars...

It's ridiculous and dangerous. A trucker obeying 55 mph is going to cause far more safety hazards than a trucker doing 65-70 mph. Is this about safety or purely revenue?

They even acknowledge other states are different (aka safer, far more reasonable), but they will strictly e̶n̶f̶o̶r̶c̶e̶ extort truck drivers.

[LilianaUwU]

https://cdllife.com/2023/chp-reminds-truckers-to-follow-maximum-cmv-speed-limit-of-55-m-p-h/

California is very proud of their 55 mph truck speed limit, particularly the police bragging about ticketing a trucker doing 73 mph in a posted 65 mph or 70 mph area for cars...

It's ridiculous and dangerous. A trucker obeying 55 mph is going to cause far more safety hazards than a trucker doing 65-70 mph. Is this about safety or purely revenue?

They even acknowledge other states are different (aka safer, far more reasonable), but they will strictly e̶n̶f̶o̶r̶c̶e̶ extort truck drivers.

This is the same state where literally everything causes cancer, am I meant to be surprised?

[TheStranger]

US 99 shield suddenly appeared on the Ventura Freway/Route 134 eastbound in Griffith Park after a greenout patch fell this week!  Two different users at the Freeways of Los Angeles group got photos of it in the past couple of days

Steve Proctor photo of 99 shield at 134 in Griffith Park by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Ian Ligget shot of 99 shield at 134 in Griffith Park by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

[Max Rockatansky]

I passed that gantry less than a week ago.  Why couldn't have it been like that then?

[bing101]

US 99 shield suddenly appeared on the Ventura Freway/Route 134 eastbound in Griffith Park after a greenout patch fell this week!  Two different users at the Freeways of Los Angeles group got photos of it in the past couple of days

Steve Proctor photo of 99 shield at 134 in Griffith Park by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Ian Ligget shot of 99 shield at 134 in Griffith Park by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

On one hand nice to see the old signs. But then again it was time to remove the button copy on this one.

[kkt]

California Big Green Signs are often patched more than Joseph's Coat.

[nexus73]

Great blast from the past, when we had real numbers and real button copy with real names for the Southland freeways. Gorgeous!

Rick