Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the stories about San Benito
County supervisors being
”
dismayed
”
over the design to build a flyover bridge at intersections of
highways 152 and 156
– the Don Pacheco Y.
Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the stories about San Benito County supervisors being “dismayed” over the design to build a flyover bridge at intersections of highways 152 and 156 – the Don Pacheco Y.
My first gripe is the fact that nowhere in the article was there any concern for public safety. How many lives were saved when the state built the bridge at U.S. 101 and Highway 25? If I remember correctly, a person died in a left-turn accident across U.S. 101 the week before it opened. Build the darn bridge now.
My second gripe is about the “powers that be,” is the “easy” solution to alleviate the backed-up traffic at the “Y” now. My simple solution is to do one of two things:
Make the CHP run traffic break escorts from 3 to 7pm anywhere they choose along Highway 152 east bound (at 35 mph to the “Y”). Just slip into traffic and hold ’em back at 35mph. This will create huge traffic breaks ahead of the CHP vehicle, and the Hollister bound traffic can turn left without too much of a problem.
If CHP officers can’t handle this, then get the Freeway Service Patrol involved, and have two tow-rigs run traffic escorts between 3 and 7pm on the designated days. It won’t make any difference to try it – the traffic will be stopped anyway.
As far as the amount of people wanting to funnel into San Benito County – wake up people! I work for PG&E in the Central Coast and we are just keeping pace with the huge housing demands for electric and gas services. My point being, the bridge won’t cause more influx of people – they are already here and waiting!
I, for one, am shocked CHP escorts haven’t been thought of before. I did send letters with my suggestion two years ago to Caltrans/CHP and letters to the editors.
Tom Vance, Gilroy
