Q I am writing about an incident with the Highway Patrol last week around 10:30 a.m. on Interstate 280 northbound.

I entered the highway from Winchester Boulevard and immediately encountered a CHP car with its lights flashing, no siren, driving in the slow lane closely following a small van or SUV with its own emergency four-way lights flashing. They were both going about 45-50 mph.

I then saw another CHP car driving across all the other lanes, swaying back and forth, holding all other cars behind them. Initially, I thought this was a means to slow traffic to give another officer time to clear debris off the roadway. But after miles of this, that was obviously not the case. The swaying police car kept us all up with the van and other police car, with their speed varying from 40 to sometimes 60 mph.

This continued for about 15 miles. When the van got off at Sand Hill Road, the two police cars followed.

What was the reason for this CHP behavior? What public safety issue was involved?

Ray Kraut

A The two CHP units were providing an escort for what is called mobile terrestrial laser scanning operations by an engineering firm working for Caltrans.

The contractor in the van was scanning the overhead signage on I-280, among other parts of Santa Clara County. This is a federally mandated program to ensure that signs meet federal safety requirements for reflectivity, visibility and uniformity.

The CHP escorts were there to protect the workers. Drivers must remain behind the roving CHP cars.

Q I have been watching the Earthquakes stadium being constructed near the Santa Clara Caltrain station. Will there be a way for fans to walk from the station to the stadium? You certainly can’t walk there now.

Robert Cronin

Menlo Park

A The city is working with VTA to extend a tunnel currently used to allow train passengers access from Railroad Avenue to the center train platform for ACE, Capitol Corridor and Caltrain riders. The extension will connect the Railroad Avenue side of the station to Brokaw Road to the east, where fans can walk to the new stadium. Construction will start sometime next year and the stadium will also open next year.

Q I commute on Lafayette Street starting on Bascom Avenue south of Campbell. Once you cross Central Expressway toward Highway 237, there are 14 lights in the 3-mile stretch between Central and Calle Del Mundo. I read before the first 49ers game that the street signals around the stadium were being upgraded so they could be synchronized beginning four hours before the games to ease potential traffic nightmares. Will Lafayette receive this upgrade?

Lissa Sheldon

A Yes. The city is working on coordinating the Lafayette traffic signals from Reed to Calle De Luna to replace the signal cabinets and install fiber optic communications. Work should be done early next year.

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