Q: My husband and I have FasTrak, but the glue for the stickum pieces (I’m sure there must be a better technical term than that) melts off. I bought a roll of replacement tape, which also melts off. Any ideas for how to keep my FasTrak transponder on the front window?

Karen Brenchley, Sunnyvale

A: Oh, yes. Here is what others recommend:

  • Put the transponder in the right corner of the front windshield out of the path of direct sunlight.
  • Buy ¾” rubber bumpers at the hardware store and set the transponder on the dash. If you don’t hotrod through a toll booth, the transponder usually stays put.
  • Use industrial adhesive to glue the strips to the transponder.
  • Use suction cups. Occasionally, one will lose its grip on the windshield, but it only happens a few times and readily goes back on.
  • Mount the transponder flat on the top of the dashboard. It works fine there and does not fall off or obscure the view.
  • If you can’t stand the transponder on the windshield, keep it in the pocket of the driver’s door. When you need to use it, slide it onto the dash face up, let it slip down next to the glass and let it sit there until you get to your destination.
  • Get automotive Velcro at an automotive paint supply store.

Q: Driving from El Sobrante to Orinda, I take San Pablo Dam Road. It’s a two-lane road and until recently there were just double yellow lines to let drivers know there was no passing. The road has a history of speeding and drivers passing others. And there have been accidents.

Recently Contra Costa County added Chandlers — basically, plastic yellow rods glued into black bases attached to the road within the yellow striping. Within two months, over 100 Chandlers have been hit and are now on the side of the road or in the roadway. The fallen Chandlers create an additional driving hazard and an unsightly mess.

To me, it’s a big waste of taxpayers’ dollars. I wonder if people are hitting the Chandlers on purpose in protest.

Karen  Fisher, El Sobrante

A: I doubt that, but this is one reason many agencies don’t like devices like this. They get knocked down too easily.

San Pablo Road, one of the county’s busiest roads, carries more than 20,000 vehicles a day. A series of serious accidents, some fatal head-on collisions, in the last few years showed the need for safety improvements. One of the most effective ways to reduce crossover collisions is centerline “rumble strips.” They provide an audible warning that a car is about to encroach oncoming traffic.

The county is looking at the best options to address this issue. Stay tuned.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at [email protected].