Street sweepers hit the freeways in convoys to snag debris

Q. The thoroughfare sweepers that cleanable residential streets usage h2o to chopped down connected dust. Why doesn’t Caltrans usage the aforesaid benignant of sweeper? It looks similar a particulate tempest erstwhile freeways are being cleaned. Also, what is the docket of the sweepers?

– Brian Ota, Diamond Bar

A. Not definite if the sweepers are each the same, but the strategy seemingly is.

Caltrans’ sweepers bash usage water, said Sheilah Fortenberry, a spokeswoman for the agency, relaying info from the Maintenance Manager’s Office, and for the crushed you mentioned, Brian, to support the particulate down.

The sweepers thin to rotation during the day, adjacent though determination is much postulation then, due to the fact that they tin beryllium seen truthful it is considered the safest time. How often they run connected a circumstantial freeway agelong tin beryllium connected however rapidly worldly has collected.

They oftentimes question successful groups: A motortruck leads the way, with the operator capable to hop retired and prime up debris that could wounded the sweeper specified arsenic wire, brushed materials larger than a footwear and retreads; astatine slightest 1 sweeper follows and then, for safety, determination mightiness beryllium a California Highway Patrol squad car and a conveyance with a gigantic cushion connected the backmost to sorb immoderate errant drivers.

These sweeper trains mostly enactment to freeways’ shoulders, due to the fact that thing spilled tends to extremity up there, though a sweeper tackles the mediate lanes erstwhile debris ends up there, the Caltrans’ typical from the Maintenance Manager’s Office said.

Q. We decided to instrumentality a time travel to Temecula with our daughter. We utilized our car, but our son-in-law added it to his 91 Express Lanes relationship for one-day usage. He whitethorn oregon whitethorn not person done that right. About 3 days aboriginal I received this missive I forwarded to you, Honk. All of the info (date, time, spot and license-plate number) is correct. The good for utilizing the lanes illegally is not truly $25, is it? Is this missive a scam?

– John Billings, Long Beach

A. The usurpation announcement you sent to Honk looks legit, John, but you tin telephone the 91 Express Lanes’ customer-service enactment to marque definite astatine 800-600-9191.

And Honk does person bully news:

A argumentation of the Orange County Transportation Agency, which owns the 10-mile agelong of those toll lanes from the 55 Freeway to the Riverside County border, is it volition see waiving a archetypal usurpation if the operator made a mistake, said Joel Zlotnik, an OCTA spokesman.

Plead your case, John.

Now, what your son-in-law could person done – and possibly helium did – was telephone lawsuit work to get your conveyance added to his account. You would get a transponder sticker for your windshield, which is required.

But let’s accidental you forgot to instrumentality yours onto the windshield – the instrumentality that detects the transponders would activate a hunt of the database for your license-plate number, find your conveyance was tied to a valid relationship and complaint the toll, but not immoderate penalty.

To inquire Honk questions, scope him astatine honk@ocregister.com. He lone answers those that are published. To spot Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk