>Traffic Jammin’ with Janis Mara – Every Monday at 2pm on Claycord.com
TRAFFIC JAMMER: Greetings, all! This Claycord.com column is for everyone who negotiates the highways and public transit of the Bay Area. It runs every Monday at 2pm and answers your commuting and transportation questions. Email your questions to trafficjammin@claycord.com.
TRAFFIC JAMMER: We’ll start out with some good news today:
COMMUTER: When will Clayton fix that worsening dip on Clayton Road between Peacock Creek and Diablo View? You can see scrape marks where some cars have bottomed out. There is a “Dip” sign, but is it my imagination or is it getting worse over time?
–Luna925
TRAFFIC JAMMER: Luna925, the Jammer spoke with Robert Booth, Clayton’s City Inspector, and he has gone out and driven the road himself and measured the dip. Booth said the dip, plus a dip near the offramp as you are going off Marsh Creek toward downtown and a third dip by the Black Diamond trail crossing, have been put on a list to be fixed. He estimated that all three would be repaired by spring 2013.
COMMUTER: Why have the lights at the northbound Highway 242 Solano/Grant exit been out for so long? There is a sharp curve at the exit and the darkness adds to the danger.
–Dunga
TRAFFIC JAMMER: Dunga, you are to be commended for reporting this – big thanks from the Jammer! I relayed the problem to Caltrans, and it was forwarded on to the maintenance department. Last time this happened, the problem was fixed in a few weeks.
When you see problems, you can also request service from maintenance on your own by CLICKING HERE.
COMMUTER: Why are gas prices higher than anywhere else in the U.S., when we have refineries in the Bay Area?
–Peeved
TRAFFIC JAMMER: Peeved, the Jammer doesn’t blame you for feeling that way. As the Jammer writes this column, gas costs $4.64 gallon in Contra Costa County, according to AAA.
The prices are higher in California for several reasons. We use a cleaner-burning gasoline, accounting for about an extra 10 cents per gallon for production.
Because California refineries don’t make enough gas to answer the demand, the state must import gas from the few refineries — two on the Gulf Coast and a few overseas — that can make the special blend. The cost of importing the gas adds 10 to 15 cents a gallon to the price.
California’s higher gas taxes add approximately 13 cents per gallon, according to the American Petroleum Institute. And there’s another reason, Claycordians. Care to guess what it is?
COMMUTER: “If you go to traffic school, how do you know your record is truly clean and the insurance company won’t find out about the ticket?”
–Beacon
TRAFFIC JAMMER: Beacon, it sounds like you’re a bit (understandably) nervous about all this, since the prospect of having your insurance rate skyrocket is a scary thing. The Jammer consulted with the Department of Motor Vehicles and got the exact details on how traffic school affects your record.
Here’s the scoop:
When a customer attends traffic violator school, the traffic school will notify the court electronically of the customer’s completion. Once the court updates the abstract reflecting that the customer attended traffic school, the conviction will automatically be suppressed from the customer’s internal and public driving record if:
- The customer has not had a conviction within 18 months in which they attend traffic school
- The conviction is not a major violation (DUI, reckless driving, etc.), and
- The customer does not hold a commercial license or was not operating a commercial vehicle at the time of the violation.
Insurance companies only have access to public driving records. Once an abstract has been updated by the court, should an insurance company request a customer’s driving record, the conviction will no longer appear.
A certified printout of the driving record can be obtained at a DMV field office for a $5 fee. Customers who wish to obtain a copy of their driving record without visiting a DMV field office will be required to set up an online account at THE DMV WEBSITE and pay a $2 fee. Customers may also contact the DMV Mandatory Actions Unit at 916-657-6525 to confirm that the conviction has been suppressed on their driving record.
TRAFFIC JAMMER: That’s it for this week – see you next Monday. Be sure to cruise by Claycord.com at 2pm for more traffic intelligence. Remember, whether you drive, walk, bike or hop Amtrak, BART or AC Transit, Traffic Jammer Janis Mara is here to answer your questions.
Send your questions to trafficjammin@claycord.com.
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