San Benito County Transportation Digest

Nestled in San Benito County’s rural expanse between Highways 5 and 25 lies a route traveled by a small populace and the bold few who seek New Idria’s decommissioned mercury mine.

At the Aromas Grange on Dec. 17, San Benito County Resource Management Agency interim Director Steve Loupe met with residents of the town to hear their concerns about the completed Carr Avenue and Anzar Road repaving project.

The law was prompted by an audit revealing that up to 35,000 parking placards in use were in the names of deceased people.

The Hollister City Council voted unanimously Nov. 21 to add a new section, 9.09, “Use and Trespassing Upon City Parking Lots and Garages,” to Title 9 of the City Municipal Code.

At the Aug. 18 meeting of the Council of San Benito County Governments, directors listened to updates on Caltrans projects—one in Hollister and two in San Juan Bautista—that seek to beautify the towns through public art installations and upgraded scenery.

The next phase of the Betabel Road project, located at 9641 Betabel Road along Hwy 101, is that the draft environmental impact report for the Commercial Development Use Permit began its 45-day public review period on July 22 and will end Sept. 6.

The Hollister City Council voted Aug. 1 to authorize changing the name of a portion of Union Road to Cesar Chavez Way. The road will be dedicated Aug. 13, said Brett Miller, city manager.

According to a recent report from Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, in many states, electric cars are cheaper to buy than traditional gas cars.

Technology developer ZeroAvia has purchased a 19-seat Dornier 228 aircraft that will help turn its facility at the Hollister Municipal Airport into a hub for zero-emission aircraft engines. Company founder Val Miftakhov chose the airport as one of three research facilities because of a perfect combination of factors.

Caltrans projects in Santa Cruz and Pacheco Pass will reconnect habitats and reduce animal-vehicle collisions. An underpass on Hwy. 17 will allow wildlife to reach Star Creek Ranch near highways 129 and 101. A planned tunnel under 101 will allow animals to reach more than 2,670 acres of open space.

San Juan Bautista’s First Street roundabout is nearing completion, according to City Manager Don Reynolds. It is intended to help regulate traffic entering and exiting the Meritage Homes Rancho Vista subdivision at Lavagnino Drive.

Backers of California’s High Speed Rail project haven’t had much to celebrate, given soaring costs and scaled-back service, but a new poll shows a solid majority of voters still want to move forward and finish the job.

Gov. Gavin Newsom released a proposal to help Californians dealing with high gas prices, while also lowering the cost of public transit. Under the $11 billion proposal, California car owners would get a debit card worth $400 for each car (a limit of two vehicles, but no income cap).

The Biden administration will allow California to set its own rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks, rebuffing a Trump-era decision.

The San Benito County Local Transportation Authority will hold a County Express community meeting on March 15 at 6 p.m. over Zoom asking residents for input on draft public transit improvements.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s working on a plan to help Californians cope with rising gasoline prices. The Democratic governor said during his State of the State speech that he will work with the Legislature to provide relief for drivers.

At the Mobility Partnership Committee meeting on Feb. 23, Caltrans gave updates on near-term projects intended to ease traffic congestion at the junction of Highway 101 and Highway 25, as well as reduce the number of accidents on Highway 25.

Caltrans has announced its new Director’s Policy on Road Safety, which commits the transportation agency to the Safe System approach. The policy reaffirms the vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on state highways by 2050.

Caltrans District 5 has published its Active Transportation Plan for the Central Coast. The agency said it’s the first of a series of district-level active transportation plans for the 12 Caltrans districts in California.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority released the Draft 2022 Business Plan for a 60-day public review and comment period, which ends April 11. The project aims to link San Francisco with Los Angeles. The connection from Gilroy to Merced is planned to go through Pacheco Pass, but no station is proposed for San Benito County.

The Council of San Benito County Governments is seeking public input on the draft of its 2020 through 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. A public hearing is scheduled via Zoom on Jan. 20.

Hollister City Council is holding a special session Jan. 22 at 9 a.m to discuss the installation of seat cushions throughout the city and addressing concerns of residents.

EV ports aren’t common in San Benito County, but that will likely soon change due to a new batch of federal funding that should greatly extend accessibility.

The big infrastructure bill passed by the House could mean another $5.8 billion over five years in new federal dollars to California. The bill will help fix highways and bridges, and it provides funding for programs to make communities more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.

The Hollister City Council voted unanimously to adopt two resolutions that accept traffic-calming analyses on Sally Street and Buena Vista Road, and to authorize city staff to implement the recommendations.

Using On-demand, a new app from County Express, residents can obtain transportation within an hour of requesting a ride. The service is available Mondays through Fridays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Since April, PG&E has been relocating utilities as part of a Caltrans project to widen Highway 156. “Approximately 95 percent of the project is completed and we expect to be done in early November,” a PG&E spokeswoman told BenitoLink.

The Gilroy City Council and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority held a meeting Sept. 14 to discuss the Gilroy Transit Center, which serves bus lines for VTA, San Benito County Express, and Monterey-Salinas Transit. The VTA proposes to use roughly half of the property for a housing project.

Caltrans is set to begin the bidding process for the State Route 25/Highway 156 roundabout project, which will be the first of its kind in California. The design known as a turbo roundabout is 240 feet in diameter, includes raised dividers to keep motorists from changing lanes.

The Hollister City Council has awarded a contract to Gilroy-based McKim Corporation for the Road Rehabilitation Program’s 2020-21 project.

The San Benito County Local Transportation Authority has rolled out an on-demand express bus that will transport riders to medical, educational and community service sites throughout Hollister.

Members of the Amah Mutsun band and their supporters gathered on the 101 overpass at Betabel Road to protest the commercial development of a site they hold sacred.