State set to hand over San Benito Street to city
The handoff of control over the former path of Hwy. 25 along San
Benito Street and Nash and Tres Pinos roads should be complete by
the fall, meaning plans for creating a more pedestrian-friendly
downtown can start to become a reality.
As it stands, though, the state intends to forego paying for any
necessary upgrades as the city previously had anticipated.
”
The schedule we’re working on now would be for that to happen
sometime in the fall,
”
said Mary Gilbert, the transportation planning manager for the
San Benito County Council of Governments.
State set to hand over San Benito Street to city
The handoff of control over the former path of Hwy. 25 along San Benito Street and Nash and Tres Pinos roads should be complete by the fall, meaning plans for creating a more pedestrian-friendly downtown can start to become a reality.
As it stands, though, the state intends to forego paying for any necessary upgrades as the city previously had anticipated.
“The schedule we’re working on now would be for that to happen sometime in the fall,” said Mary Gilbert, the transportation planning manager for the San Benito County Council of Governments.
Since completion of the $53.4 million Hwy. 25 bypass in 2009, COG has been working with Caltrans, the City of Hollister and county officials to return jurisdiction over the downtown road to the city. At the same time, the bypass would formally be accepted into the state highway system.
Before the handoff can be completed, COG must complete a route transfer report that tracks road maintenance costs and accident data on the new bypass.
After the city regains control over San Benito Street from the state, “they can make determinations about what changes can be made, such as pedestrian amenities and crosswalks,” Gilbert said.
Brenda Weatherly, executive director of the Hollister Downtown Association, said the city has been working on a strategic plan for the historic business district in anticipation of regaining local control over the roadway.
“We’re trying to get things set up to move on once the transfer happens,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to plan, but we don’t have money to do much right away.”
Officials have discussed adding more crosswalks downtown and reorienting pedestrian benches to they face businesses, rather than the road.
“We’ll be looking for projects we can do to beautify the area,” Weatherly said. “Things that are inexpensive initially but can make an impact.”
Regaining local jurisdiction over San Benito Street will mean the city won’t have to check with the state when it is planning a parade or festival.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly,” Weatherly said. “We can do more events and we’ve talked about moving the Farmers Market onto San Benito at some point and let it grow block by block. We want to make downtown a more fun place to be.”
Other downtown improvement ideas mentioned have included more outdoor dining opportunities, reorienting parking spaces and upgrading downtown alleys to give them more of a courtyard feel for diners or shoppers.
Those and other basic road upgrades will not be funded by the state if current plans progress. Caltrans has indicated its preference for a “route transfer” instead a “relinquishment.”
The former allows the state to hand over the road without improving it first.
“Caltrans has indicated they don’t have any funding and they won’t make any improvements to the existing Route 25,” said Lisa Rheinheimer, COG’s executive director.
As a comparison, Caltrans in the late 1990s handed over the old Highway 156 and did, indeed, pay for improvements before doing so. In return for San Benito Street, local agencies are giving the state a relatively new road in the bypass.
“Maintenance costs are going to be very low on the bypass for several years,” Rheinheimer said.
Assemblywoman Anna Caballero at a recent meeting with Hollister council members responded to concerns about the state’s intentions for a route transfer by telling city officials she would address the problem.
Editor Kollin Kosmicki contributed to this report.
