Courtesy of the Council of San Benito County Governments:
For the past three years, the Council of San Benito County Governments (COG), San Benito County’s Regional Transportation Planning Agency, has been involved in a community conversation regarding our regional transportation needs. We appreciate the community feedback received – from public meetings, stakeholder conversations, online, paper, and bilingual phone surveys, and more.
As a result of these conversations, we are proud to have adopted two guiding documents to support our regional transportation needs for years to come. Both the Regional Transportation Plan and the Roads and Transportation Safety Investment Plan, can be viewed on our website at SanBenitoCOG.org. Both plans are equally important in guiding the steps we must take to improve our transportation system, while the Investment Plan is especially critical in helping us close our funding gap.
Last year, the Roads and Transportation Safety Investment Plan was unanimously approved by the County of San Benito, the City of Hollister, and the City of San Juan Bautista. As a result, it was placed on the November 2018 ballot as Measure G, where a super-majority of the community approved implementing the Plan over the next 30 years. The community support for Measure G now allows us to make critical investments in our transportation needs.
As we begin 2019, we are dedicated to keeping the community updated regarding our transportation planning and progress, including Measure G updates. Our commitment is to:
• Work with the State and Federal governments to ensure maximum investments in our region.
• Coordinate with our local governments – San Benito County, the City of Hollister, and the City of San Juan Bautista - for implementation of their Pavement Management Plans and other projects outlined in the Investment Plan.
• Address the needs outlined in the detailed Measure G Investment Plan built with community input.
• Convene a Measure G Citizens Oversight Committee.Please see our current Measure G updates below on projects in plan priority order. As we continue to plan with maximum efficiencies, our commitment is to keep you updated.
• Route 25 4-Lane Expressway Project: We are now in the process of working closely with the State and Federal government to ensure maximum investments in the Route 25 project. Our first step is to conduct an environmental study and design, formulate timely benchmark goals, and prepare a timeline.
• Maintain local roads, repair potholes, and improve traffic: We are now in the process of coordinating with the State and Federal Government to ensure maximum matching funds, and coordinating with local jurisdictions to implement their needs.
• Mobility and More - Improve transit options for seniors, youth, and people with disabilities, Pedestrian and bicycle safety and traffic flow, Administration, and Future Planning & Contingency: We are in the process of outlining next steps in this category that are aligned with the needs in our Regional Transportation Plan.This year, please expect to see retailers collecting the Measure G sales tax starting April 1, 2019. Then, by this fall, local road repair funds will be granted to each jurisdiction per the Roads and Transportation Safety Investment Plan, so they can begin implementing the projects outlined in the detailed Plan.
Stay tuned for more updates and visit SanBenitoCOG.org to read both plans. Board meetings are open to the public and community participation is welcome. If you would like to learn more, or are interested in convening a group of community members to learn more, please contact Mary Gilbert, COG Executive Director, by phone at (831) 637-7665 ext. 207 or email at [email protected], or visit our website SanBenitoCOG.org.
The Council of San Benito County Governments (Council of Governments) is the regional transportation planning agency for the San Benito region. The agency provides a forum for addressing issues of area wide interest and builds consensus on transportation issues facing the region. The Council of Governments Board is comprised of members from the Hollister City Council, San Juan Bautista City Council, and the County Board of Supervisors.
