January 20, 2005

NEWS BRIEFS

Association of Republican Women presents new officers

The new officers of the Association of Republican Women were introduced at the December meeting. Susan Hart, left, and Maria Fisher, right, will serve the group in 2005.

The next meeting of the Association of Republican Women will be held at the Almaden Country Club on Wednesday, Feb. 16 with a continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and a featured guest speaker, Los Gatos Mayor Mike Wasserman speaking at 10 a.m. Guests are welcome to the regular meetings at the Almaden Country Club and include a continental breakfast for $10. Each meeting includes a legislative update and suggested action.

County of Santa Clara to step up traffic safety efforts

New traffic safety equipment will target school zones and expressways

To combat speeding in school zones and running red lights on County expressways, the County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department has announced that it will work to increase public awareness about the importance of observing traffic regulations as well as bringing in new equipment to help with enforcement.

During the year, the Roads and Airports Department will install eight electronic driver speed displays near four schools and 240 red light enforcement indicators (also known as Rat boxes) at the top 30 high-incidence county expressway intersections. The electronic speed display signs indicate the actual speed of an approaching vehicle and are effective encouraging motorists to slow down in school zones. Rat boxes are electronic devices that enable police to identify red light runners from the far side of an intersection and quickly and safely pursue, stop and cite the violators.

“Many collisions could be avoided if motorists would comply with traffic signals,” said Michael Murdter, County of Santa Clara Director of Roads and Airports. “The county’s goal is to make streets and roadways safer and to reduce the number of red light related collisions, which often cause severe injuries and deaths.”

Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death in Santa Clara County. The estimated annual cost of collision-related injuries and deaths exceeds $500 million. The County Roads and Airports Department is now using a combination of automobile monitoring technology, law enforcement and public education to address this problem. The electronic speed display signs will be posted in combination with standard speed limit signage, typically 25 mph in school zones, to re-establish awareness of the school zone speed limit. Studies demonstrate these signs are effective in achieving a 5 to 7 mph speed reduction.

“We are also posting red light violation advisory signs at various locations along county-maintained expressways to educate the public and deter them from running red lights,” Murdter continued. “We believe if motorists are aware that the minimum fine for red light violations is $336, they will be less likely to speed through intersections as signals are changing to red.”

The Rat boxes, so called because they “rat” on offenders, feature a small light-emitting diode (LED) that faces opposite the traffic light; the LED illuminates when the traffic light cycles to red. Officers can position for stakeout in a place where they can see the limit line and the Rat box simultaneously. With this device, an officer no longer has to follow an offender through a red light to issue a ticket; he or she will already be on the far side of the intersection.

The electronic speed display signs and Rat boxes are being purchased as part of a $156,320 grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety. The County’s goal is to eventually equip every major intersection on county-maintained expressways with Rat boxes.

“Getting better tools such as this for the County of Santa Clara is going to save more lives,” said Sunne Wright McPeak, Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, which oversees the Office of Traffic Safety.

“Speed display signs are easily seen by oncoming drivers which prompt drivers to naturally reduce their speed.”

The Santa Clara County Roads and Airports Department will work with law enforcement agencies through this OTS-funded Traffic Safety Campaign. More information is available at the Department’s Web site at www.CountyRoads.org.

Coldwell Banker launches third annual scholarship program for Silicon Valley students

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Silicon Valley has announced its third annual scholarship program entitled Path to Excellence, which will benefit graduating Silicon Valley high school students.

Through the program, eleven Silicon Valley scholars will be selected from 46 public high schools in Santa Clara, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties including Leland, Pioneer and Leigh. Each winning scholar will earn a $2,000 scholarship. Final selections will be made by a committee that includes representatives from the business community, area high schools, area colleges and the leadership team of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Silicon Valley. The scholarships will be granted to the winners upon enrollment in an accredited four-year university of their choice.

The Path to Excellence Scholarship Program is a partnership with local high schools. The principals and faculty at each school will nominate three graduating seniors with exemplary records. Superior academic achievement is necessary, but not the sole criteria. Scholarship candidates must be well-rounded student-citizens who are involved in their broader community.

For more information regarding the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Silicon Valley Path to Excellence Scholarship Program, contact Scholarship Program Chair Nina Yamaguchi at (408) 252.1133 or via e-mail at nyamaguchi@cbnorcal.com.