I wonder if the bus riders are aware that the bus does not go
past the front doors of Wal-Mart anymore. It only stops on the
street a block below the store.
“I wonder if the bus riders are aware that the bus does not go past the front doors of Wal-Mart anymore. It only stops on the street a block below the store. I just noticed yesterday that the bus stop bench by the store is gone.
Red Phone: Dear Ride The Bus, Thanks for the heads-up. While there isn’t a bus stop in the Wal-Mart parking lot any more, there is still a stop in front of the store, said Valley Transportation Authority Spokesman Ethan Winston.
The route was updated on July 13 to take advantage of the new bridge that connects the shopping centers on Leavesley Road with those on 10th Street, he said.
“Before it is was two separate routes,” Winston said. “But we rerouted it to better serve the outlet malls. It is more convenient now because it hits most of retail centers.”
Before the route was a loop, but now buses can travel both ways, he said.
To see a complete bus schedule, go to www.vta.org/schedules.
Street cleaners go too fast
“Maybe when the street sweepers clean the road edge they can put a little water in the sweeper tank to keep down the dust and go slower than 30 mph down the residential road edge so as to actually clean and remove some of the debris. I have seen them do this on numerous occasions. The sweeping surcharge on the monthly bill is a joke for the price they charge. I do better with a hose and broom on my street.”
Red Phone: Dear Clean Machine, the sweepers usually drive slow while on their routes, said South Valley Disposal General Manager Phil Couchee.
“Our sweepers are not sweeping at 30 miles per hour,” he said. “The only reason for the sweeper to be traveling at that speed would be traveling from one sweeping area to another, or leaving the route to dump his truck.”
The sweepers also use water when they clean, Couchee said. “Our sweepers do have a sprayer over each broom,” he said “If the sweeper hits a significant area of dirt, some dust may occur.”
So good caller, hope that helps. We wouldn’t want to see any of the sweepers getting pulled over by the police for speeding.
No officer on scene of accident
“I just found out that a police officer will not come to the scene of an accident unless an injury occurred. What I don’t get is, if this person runs a stop sign, how is he going to get a citation for running a stop sign and causing major damage to the other vehicle in which there was an infant as well. What is it with these police officers, and please don’t say the city can’t afford to hire any more. In my opinion, if that new police building had not been built, we could afford to hire a few more. I’m just so upset. I’m just shocked they won’t come to the scene of an accident. I bet a lot of people don’t know this. Thank you.”
Red Phone: Dear Distressed Driver, unfortunately police cannot be everywhere at once. A new police station has been needed for quite some time as Gilroy has continued to grow.
Hiring more officers is not the solution, because there would need to be an officer or two dedicated to doing that job full time, police said. In addition to the time at the scene, an officer also has to spend additional time following up to complete the report.
“The police department does not respond to a non-injury accident unless one of the drivers does not have insurance or a driver’s license,” Sgt. Jim Gillio said. “In these cases the drivers can exchange information and contact their respective insurance agencies. In order to cite a person for an infraction that did not occur in an officer’s presence, a full investigation needs to be completed. Full investigations are only completed on injury accidents.”
