HollisterFreelance.com | COG Has Priorities

COG Has Priorities

Dec 12, 2005

Editor,

In response to your editorial of Nov. 22, "Set Transportation Priorities Quickly," contrary to your misguided claim, the Council of San Benito County Governments does have planned projects and priorities, which are outlined in COG's adopted 2005 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The RTP is a 25-year planning document which sets forth transportation goals and policies for the region. The RTP is updated every three years to accurately reflect the needs in the county. In the RTP, COG has identified safety improvements on Highway 25 as the highest priority project in San Benito County. The eventual four-lane widening of Highways 25 and 156 between Union Road and the Alameda in San Juan Bautista are also listed as high priority projects.

COG is also responsible for preparing a Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) every two years. The RTIP prioritizes projects to be funded in the county with State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds, and is subject to approval by the California Transportation Commission. Each County receives STIP funding from the state on a formula basis, therefore, it is not entirely accurate to state that San Benito would "lose funding to some project in San Jose" because "we couldn't decide what we need." Moreover, the future of transportation funding in California remains uncertain if not bleak. Funding any project in its entirety is not likely in the next 10 years. Both the local share STIP funds and Caltrans' Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) funds are not available to any new projects. Any additional ITIP funds available in the next three fiscal years will be used to cover project construction cost increases on projects that are now ready to build.

The COG Board of Directors, San Benito County, and the City of Hollister have been very proactive and worked diligently to find innovative solutions and use local funds to expedite our highest priority safety project in San Benito County, the construction of a concrete median barrier and consolidation of private driveways on Highway 25 between Hollister and Gilroy. This project will be constructed in 2006, as well as the Highway 25 Bypass project. In addition, COG is studying interim safety improvement on Highway 156 at the intersection of Union/Mitchell Road. COG is pursuing aggressive schedules on all of these projects; however, taking a project from concept to full design, environmental clearance and right-of-way acquisition can take at a minimum of three years, if not more.

COG has been active in review of the VTA Southern Gateway Study. COG provided the VTA with comments on both the Southern Gateway Study and the Highway 152/156 "Flyover" project, and both COG staff and Directors have met with their counterparts in Santa Clara County to discuss these projects. Representatives from COG, VTA, and Caltrans Districts 4 and 5 will continue to meet quarterly to discuss topics of significance to the region. COG staff attends meetings of the VTA's South County Policy Advisory Committee each month. The COG Board of Directors will schedule a workshop to discuss the VTA Gateway Study in January.

The VTA has indicated that the Gateway Study is merely providing some first round alternative concepts to the transportation needs of the region. Each alternative will require extensive additional study to determine its feasibility. COG is currently working with our own local Caltrans District 5 on a study to complete a traffic analysis of routes 101, 156 and 152. This eight-month study will complement the VTA Southern Gateway Study by utilizing the recent AMBAG regional travel demand model update to provide additional traffic counts and analysis of the Southern Gateway Study alternatives. Further required work COG plans with Caltrans will include an Origin/Destination study to provide a better understanding of traffic patterns between Interstate 5 and San Benito and Santa Clara counties. This study will focus on truck traffic patterns. With these additional studies, COG and our regional partners will be armed with more reliable information with which to make decisions.

Both the RTP and the RTIP are available for public review at COG's office at 3216 Southside Road. The COG Board meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6pm in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 481 Fourth Street in Hollister. Should you have any questions regarding COG's adopted transportation policies, and the transportation priorities in San Benito County, please contact our office.

Tom Quigley, COG Executive Director