Ordinance needed for roadside foliage

I applaud the Los Altos Hills City Council for addressing the roadside safety problems in our area. One thing they could consider is holding property owners more responsible for maintaining their roadside frontage.

Walking a loop up Camino Hermoso Drive around to Ravensbury Avenue and back illustrates the problem. Some of the property owners have trimmed back the foliage where it does not interfere with walkers and other users of the road.

Other owners seem to actively discourage activity on the road by planting hedges or placing rocks or posts right at the paved edge of the road. In some cases, the foliage planted at the edge of the road is allowed to grow into the paved area of the road surface, requiring vehicles and pedestrians to swerve toward the center line.

Because this is a public safety issue, it would seem to merit a town ordinance to require a minimum distance between the edge of the paved roadway and any foliage, posts, rocks or other obstructions to vehicles or walkers. An enforcement mechanism similar to that used for fire safety seems appropriate here. Either maintain the property yourself or the town will bill you to get it done.

Charles Wilde

Los Altos Hills

Fluorescent cost savings a myth

I was disappointed by the Feb. 28 article on (compact) fluorescent bulbs. The article repeats the popular myth of an actual cost savings with these bulbs. In my experience, nothing is further from the truth.

I use these bulbs everywhere in my home and, based on my experience, they barely last a year. Although rated for 10,000 hours of expected life, my personal study shows they last around 1,000 to 2,000 hours of actual life, more like a standard incandescent bulb. And the shorter life I experience cannot be blamed on base orientation or location of use. I have used the bulbs everywhere, from table lamps to outdoor fixtures and all with the same average lifespan.

Searches on the Internet readily confirm this experience with compact fluorescent bulbs. But I have yet to find a scientific or other study that confirms either the short actual life experience or longer ratings promoted by the manufacturers.

LED nightlights to date have not had much better reliability either. This despite the fact that LEDs should never “burn out.”

So I would hope we begin to see more accurate reporting and not just “green dream” fluff pieces as presented. Please look for actual studies to support claims and not simply repeat popular myth and conjecture. After all, your readership has a much higher percentage of decision makers and technology leaders than many publications.

Randy Harr

Los Altos Hills

Street signs, police presence needed

Last week, I was nearly struck by a car at the corner of Oak Avenue and Harwalt Drive, by someone driving much too fast for that corner and our cul-de-sac.

This type of driving has become a common occurrence on our street, as students and many parents rush to make it to the back gate of Mountain View High School on time.

We have pleaded with the school board and the city to do something about this dangerous situation, and all we got were some no parking signs, which are a nuisance! What are they thinking?

We have many children on our street who walk to Oak Avenue School. What will it take - a child seriously hurt or killed? A horrendous crash in the middle of the street as drivers make sudden U-turns? Is anyone listening? We need school zone and 25 mph street signs, and a greater police presence!

Julie Barton

Los Altos