Proponents of the 5-year-old
”
3-in-1 proposal
”
to build a four or six-lane freeway from Highway 101 to the
intersection of highways 152 and 156 hope that an upcoming Santa
Clara County traffic study will support their plan.
Hollister – Proponents of the 5-year-old “3-in-1 proposal” to build a four or six-lane freeway from Highway 101 to the intersection of highways 152 and 156 hope that an upcoming Santa Clara County traffic study will support their plan.
Supporters of the proposal, which the San Benito County Farm Bureau began backing in 2000, are hoping that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s Southern Gateway study will allow them to make a strong case for the 3-in-1 as a way to divert traffic from those two roads and Highway 25 and relinquish the need to do major construction on them.
The Southern Gateway study could be released by the end of August, according to VTA spokesperson Brandi Hall, who would not discuss the contents of the unfinished report.
However, County Supervisor and former Farm Bureau President Anthony Botelho said he has seen an administrative draft of the study and that it supported the a 3-in-1 type project.
“That’s what it’s reflecting, perhaps that might be the most cost effective way for dealing with traffic issues,” he said. “Overall my feeling is (3-in-1) is a reflection of some ideas a handful of people in the county have always held and maintained. Now we have the science to back it up.”
Supervisor Pat Loe said that she does not support the 3-in-1 as a solution to the county’s traffic woes because different types of traffic – such as farm, freight and commuter – use highways 25, 152 and 156 and have different traffic patterns that could not be diverted to a single freeway.
“There are three separate needs, and we need to address those needs,” she said, adding that she was concerned a 3-in-1 would pull more Santa Clara traffic through San Benito County.
Also, Loe said, the San Benito County Council of Governments does not support the 3-in-1 proposal.
“COG is on record supporting three separate roads,” she said.
The Farm Bureau plans to keep pushing for the proposal to become a reality, according to President Paul Hain.
According to the Farm Bureau, the 3-in-1 would provide a safer route for commuters who use highways 25, 152 and 156. Since 2000 there have been 46 traffic fatalities on the three highways combined, with the largest number, 19, occurring on Highway 25.
“If we only look at one highway, no matter what you do you’ll still have disasters on the other two,” Farm Bureau member and 3-in-1 committee spokesperson Greg Swett said.
Even if the 3-in-1 proposal garners more support, funding – the cost has been estimated up to $290 million – presents a problem.
According to Swett, some of the funding would come from Santa Clara County, and some money might be available through state and federal government programs aimed at enhancing inter-regional transportation.
Regardless of the fate of the 3-in-1 proposal, Botelho believes route consolidation would be the solution to the county’s traffic puzzle.
“There’s no question there is a tremendous amount of traffic and freight that goes through the county … it has an impact on the quality of life and the transportation system,” he said. “We have to plan for the future.”
Luke Roney covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
