After a delay of nearly nine months from the project’s
engineering consultant, a draft of Hollister’s traffic calming
study is finally complete.
After a delay of nearly nine months from the project’s engineering consultant, a draft of Hollister’s traffic calming study is finally complete.
The 25-page report includes maps and a listing that pinpoint the most troubled traffic areas. The City Council will discuss the document at a study session at 6:30 p.m. today.
“In my review of the study, the areas of concern to many in our community have been identified,” Mayor Brian Conroy said. “Locust is a good example. That’s a narrow roadway in the section identified that should probably be a one-lane, one-way street. I have gone to other communities, such as San Jose and Monterey, and have seen some of the traffic calming measures at work. We can make our streets safer.”
Higgins and Associates originally scheduled the first phase of the program to last 90 days, but it took almost a year to complete.
However, when Keith Higgins, of Higgins and Associates, finishes the final report, Councilman Tony LoBue said it will be essential toward improving congestion and dangerous roadways in Hollister.
“It should give us the tools to make changes in our community to slow traffic down,” LoBue said.
Higgins said his presentation today with Council will allow him to “get the red pen out and edit it.”
Higgins also requested community feedback and city officials are in the process of planning for public input.
“This process was started due to community involvement,” Conroy said. “Members of the community have expressed concerns about traffic and have come before the Council to speak out on it. The community is involved in this process, and hopefully will become even more involved.
“Local government does not work without community involvement.”
Residents have particularly expressed concern about increased traffic gridlock that has corresponded with the city’s rapid population growth, according to a Council report.
The number of reported accidents increased from 345 in 1992 to 567 in 2001, a 39-percent increase in less than a decade.
According to the draft given to Council members, “City staff will work closely with residents within neighborhoods to identify the type and severity of traffic problems on their streets.”
Among the possible strategies included in the report are speed limit signs, police enforcement, stop signs, speed humps, traffic signals and street closings.
“This will be the beginning of a lengthy process in which we can address the concerns of the people within the community,” LoBue said.
Among the areas of concern are sections of Clearview Drive, Meridian Street, Union Road and Valley View Road.
“The people living on Clearview expressed major concerns regarding speeding on their street (and) people living on Meridian have spoken out for years about roadway design and safety issues.”
Higgins said additional Council and community input will determine other streets that may demand attention, too.
In the report, Higgins broke down the city into regions that coincide with Council members’ districts.
“It allows each City Council member to go and do outreach in that district,” Higgins said.
