About 300 people attended the free, family-friendly Safe Streets Action Plan – Vision Zero Community Festival in Hollister Oct. 24.
The festival hosted by the City of Hollister brought together residents, local agencies, community organizations, businesses and food vendors to support community engagement around the city’s Safe Streets (SS4A) for All project.
SS4A is a citywide plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on Hollister’s streets, says a press release from the city. Over the course of the project, city officials and consultants will work with residents, schools, seniors, advocates and community organizations to develop six interconnected plans that together aim to make the streets safer for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and others.
The Oct. 24 event featured 14 booths, including five project-specific booths. Represented were the Youth Alliance, Seniors Council, Omatochi, San Benito County Sheriff’s Department, San Benito County Integrated Waste Management, Off the Chain Bikes, City of Hollister Fire Department, and Latino Coalition of San Benito County “Listos California” Group.
The first 200 participants who completed the event raffle received free face painting and food.
The raffle received 221 entries and featured prizes including four bicycles, helmets, games, a gift basket, a backpack with goodies and project merchandise, says the press release.
Several prizes were donated by event partners, including Youth Alliance, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department, San Benito County Safe Kids Coalition and Seniors Council.
“Thank you to all of the local organizations and agencies that participated in the festival and engaged with the community throughout the day and to Roni’s Face Painting, Tacos El Crucero, SteakStop and Savage Customs Designs Inc. for bringing great food, activities and services to the festival and helping make the day even more enjoyable for attendees!” says the press release.
The festival also featured a bike rodeo, giving children an opportunity to practice their bicycling skills in a designated area using bicycles provided at the event.
“Most importantly, the festival provided an opportunity for the city and project team to hear directly from the community,” the press release continues. “Residents shared valuable feedback about transportation safety needs, concerns and priorities throughout Hollister.”
Event organizers said this input will help inform the recommendations included in the final Hollister SS4A plan.
