The Bay Earthquake Swarms, License Plate Reader Cameras, and Clipper 2.0
Dec 19, 2025
In a thrilling roundup, the hosts unveil the mysteries behind recent earthquake swarms shaking San Ramon and Sonoma County. They dive into Oakland's controversial expansion of license plate reader cameras, weighing privacy against safety. Exciting upgrades to the Clipper card system offer benefits like instant funds and family accounts. Discussions hint at how these changes could reinvigorate public transport ridership as cities gear up for big events. It's a jam-packed conversation tackling pressing issues of the year!
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Swarms Differ From Big Quakes
- Earthquake swarms differ from typical mainshock-aftershock sequences and often lack a single dominant quake.
- Alan Montecilio explains clusters of small quakes usually quiet down without producing a much larger event.
Resident Woken Repeatedly By Tremors
- Mona Epstein described being woken multiple times by tremors that felt frightening despite modest magnitudes.
- Her experience illustrates how repeated small quakes can make residents feel on edge and irritable.
San Ramon Sits Over Active Fault
- San Ramon sits above the Calaveras Fault, part of the broader San Andreas system, so seismic activity there is expected.
- Alan Montecilio notes residents have lived through prior swarms because the fault runs under the city.