The Council of Governments is San Benito County’s regional transportation planning agency. The Council of Governments is committed to enhancing and improving transportation through:planning for the future, financing and constructing projects, funding bus transit, promoting ride-sharing, and maintaining emergency call boxes.
The Board of Directors are five elected officials appointed from the Hollister City Council, County Board of Supervisors and San Juan Bautista City Council. The current Board Members include: Anthony Botelho, Chair (San Benito County), Victor Gomez, Vice Chair (City of Hollister), Jaime De La Cruz (San Benito County), Tony Boch (City of San Juan Bautista), and Robert Scattini (City of Hollister).
The Board of Directors meets every third Thursday at 3:00 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers located at 481 Fourth Street in Hollister. Below are highlights from the January 2014 meetings.
Since 2001, the San Benito Council of Governments has coordinated with CALTRANS, the City of Hollister, and the County on the development of the State Route 25 Four Lane Widening project.
The proposed project would widen the highway to four lanes from San Felipe Road in Hollister to the State Route 25/US 101 interchange.
COG Seeks Options for Highway 25 Widening Project
San Benito COG approved up to $60,000 in Regional Surface Transportation Program funding to finalize the Environmental Impact Report for the project.
COG Directors recognized the importance of Highway 25 to residents of San Benito County, including the high number of commuters to Santa Clara County and other points north.
The Board expressed interest in pursuing project alternatives including passing lanes, and Chairman Victor Gomez appointed himself and Director De La Cruz to an ad-hoc committee to meet with project partners to consider alternatives.
Highway 25 Bypass Transfer Moving Forward
The COG Board adopted a resolution agreeing to the transfer of the new Route 25 Bypass to the State, replacing the existing highway designation along San Felipe Road, San Benito Street, and Tres Pinos Road. This adoption will help accelerate the transfer of the roadway. Completion is expected in the spring of this year. Stay tuned for information about a celebration in downtown Hollister.
Other points of interest:
• COG approved a grant application for technology improvements on public transit.
• Unmet Transit Needs Hearings are scheduled for March 18th at 1:00 p.m. at the Hollister Community Center and March 20th at 3:00 p.m. at the San Benito County Board of Supervisors Chambers.