I believe that community enthusiasm for Highway 25 projects is
contagious. You are totally unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge,
participate in, or support this enthusiasm. Your Opinion piece
entitled
”
No Speedy Solution for Highway 25 Fix
”
on Sept. 17 states,
”
the political will doesn’t seem to exist to fix these important
roads
”
but completely ignores the Council of Governments successful
efforts to make safety along Highway 25 the highest transportation
priority in San Benito County. In fact, COG political leadership
dedicating local funds to advance the widening project by three
years evidences this! COG has also committed local funds to
improving safety on Highway 156.
I believe that community enthusiasm for Highway 25 projects is contagious. You are totally unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge, participate in, or support this enthusiasm. Your Opinion piece entitled “No Speedy Solution for Highway 25 Fix” on Sept. 17 states, “the political will doesn’t seem to exist to fix these important roads” but completely ignores the Council of Governments successful efforts to make safety along Highway 25 the highest transportation priority in San Benito County. In fact, COG political leadership dedicating local funds to advance the widening project by three years evidences this! COG has also committed local funds to improving safety on Highway 156.
Clearly you must also acknowledge that safety along the San Benito County portion of Highway 25 was improved by the construction of a soft median barrier project just this last fall. The project widened the shoulders and added a median in the center to allow more space between the traveling public.
An additional safety project is underway by COG to construct a concrete median barrier and make other improvements. What this means for the traveling public is that the opportunity for head-on accidents is virtually eliminated!
Highway projects take time to plan and build. A clear example of this continued progress as well as enthusiasm with good community interaction was the recent Sept. 3 Highway 25 Widening Project Public Meeting. Attendees eager for improvements included the general public inclusive of potentially impacted landowners, Stay “ALIVE” on Highway 25 Committee Members, COG Board and staff members, State political representation, consultants, and the extremely helpful staffing from Caltrans.
Anyone can access the COG web site Board minutes and see extensive dedication and enthusiasm for tackling tough highway issues. Had the Free Lance taken the time to show up at the COG Board meeting last Thursday, you would have witnessed this enthusiasm as pointed outrage to your editorial.
Tom Quigley,
Executive Director
Council of San Benito County Governments
