Don’t expect 280 bottlenecks around Palo Alto to be fixed anytime soon: Roadshow

Q: The “Palo Alto-Los Altos Squeeze” on Interstate 280 is used by tens of thousands daily. Four into three at Page Mill, north and south. Four into three at Magdalena, south. Result: endless jams, with no end in sight. Merges cause accidents. When will this horror show be fixed?

John Joss, Mountain View 

A: There are no immediate plans to reduce this bottleneck. It may not happen until express lanes are extended on 280, though we don’t know when.

Q: I travel Lawrence Expressway from Bollinger to Kifer and Tasman. When are they going to repave Lawrence from San Jose through Santa Clara and on to Sunnyvale? It is an important alternative for high tech vs. 880 or 680. There are more potholes than pavement on Lawrence. It’s jarring! Please tell me it’s sooner rather than later.

Susan Haag

A: Santa Clara County completed a paving project on Lawrence from Highway 101 north to 237 in the summer of 2022. They are in the design phase for a project to repave Lawrence Expressway from Quito Road north to Homestead Road and anticipate work on this segment in the summer of 2024.

The middle segment, Homestead to Highway 101, is included on the list of Measure B planned upgrades to Lawrence Expressway. The county is validating the scope of improvements indicated in Measure B. There will be improvements, but we do not yet know when.

Q: During the pandemic, we renewed my 89-year-old mom’s California drivers license online. She has her current passport and other required documentation.

Can we go in person to the DMV to get her Real ID? Will the DMV require a written, eye or driving test when we go in if she has a current driver’s license and simply wants to upgrade to a Real ID?

She has not driven for the past 3+ years, but may wish to fly in the future. The driver’s license is a comfort, an official ID and a symbol of dignity and independence for her.

Larry Beed

A: Customers wanting to upgrade their driver’s license to a REAL ID driver’s license can start the process by filling out the application online and uploading the required identity and residency documents on the DMV website. A vision and knowledge test may be needed upon renewal.

An option for seniors who no longer need a driver’s license, but would like a federal compliant form of identification is to apply for a no-fee senior REAL ID identification card. For this, customers need to provide the required identity and residency documents. As with a REAL ID driver’s license, the application can be started online, followed by a visit to a field office to complete the process.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.