Gilroy
– Outlet shoppers traveling down Camino Arroyo know that Costco
is farther than it appears. Under the current road layout, they
must cross Highway 101 using the Sixth Street overpass and travel
through the city to Tenth Street, or hop back on 101 and head south
for one exit – usually the quicker
option.
Gilroy – Outlet shoppers traveling down Camino Arroyo know that Costco is farther than it appears. Under the current road layout, they must cross Highway 101 using the Sixth Street overpass and travel through the city to Tenth Street, or hop back on 101 and head south for one exit – usually the quicker option.
While shoppers may benefit from the city’s plans for a direct eastern link between the areas – one that involves extending Camino Arroyo south of Sixth Street and creating a bridge over Llagas Creek – a few local residents are concerned.
The Sixth Street overpass is used mainly by local shoppers as a southerly entrance to the outlets and by farmers and ranchers to the east. The handful of residents attending the Monday unveiling of the city’s plans worried the connection would siphon off local traffic that would otherwise reach the outlets and Costco via Monterey Street or 101.
That problem will only become worse with the opening of the planned Wal-Mart Supercenter, between Sixth Street (Gilman Road) and Pacheco Pass Highway, according to Don Culver, a Gilroy resident.
“This little gap is the linchpin that completes the traffic pattern for all the outlets and commercial areas,” he said. Pointing to “the demographics along Sixth Street,” Culver added: “Those are Wal-Mart shoppers. Wal-Mart did their homework. That’s going to increase the traffic along Sixth Street.”
He suggested changing the street to a westerly one way road, allowing Sixth Street residents to return from Wal-Mart but forcing them to use alternate routes to get there.
Residents also suggested using rumble strips or speed bumps to calm traffic along Sixth Street.
The project also must address environmental concerns. An initial environmental study will move forward once engineers complete designs for the 150-foot bridge across Llagas Creek. The bridge will incorporate the city’s plans for a bike route through the area, said Matthew Griggs, the engineer in charge of the project. He said the plans also envision extending sidewalks and adding lighting along Sixth Street between Rogers Lane and Camino Arroyo.
Officials have organized a citizens’ group to tap into local concerns about the project. Their charge includes engaging more area residents in the process, perhaps by distributing Spanish-language flyers in churches and other public areas in the Sixth Street neighborhood.
Gilroy Traffic Engineer Don Dey said: ‘”We really are trying to find a solution that the neighborhood can be happy with.”
