By Protect San Benito volunteer.
Many residents wonder how San Benito's roads got so bad. We researched this question and summarize our findings below, with links to the sources of information (California Pavement Condition report, Freelance articles, and Minutes of past Supervisors' meetings).
San Benito's Road Score Drops From C to F Grade
Save California Streets (SCS) is an association of city, county, and state transportation organizations that evaluates the pavement condition of state roads every two years and writes an annual report that's available online. The SCS website, which has an archive of past and current reports, is at https://savecaliforniastreets.org.
SCS assigns a pavement condition index (score) to county and city roads on a scale from zero (failed) to 100 (excellent). The current average score for all state roads is 65.
Data on the pavement condition of San Benito County's roads from 2008 to 2022 can be found on page 19 of the latest (April 2023) SCS report, which can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/SaveCaliforniaStreets-2023.
In 2008, San Benito County roads received a score of 68 (a C grade). Because of decisions made by the San Benito County Supervisors in the years that followed, the county's road score kept dropping from a C to a D.
In 2022, San Benito County roads received a score of 38 (an F grade) and is ranked third from the bottom, out of 58 counties in California.
Another Pavement Condition report will be released in late 2024.
How Did San Benito Roads Get so Bad?
Several key decisions made by past San Benito Board of Supervisors caused our county to lose tens of millions of dollars for road improvements, which explains why our roads are so bad today.
78% Cut in Traffic Impact Fees
For example, from 2010-2016, Supervisors repeatedly cut the traffic impact fee that Developers pay from $23,853 to $5,233 per house. This traffic impact fee pays for countywide road improvements. Developers lobbied for this change to save money.
Several Freelance articles from 2010 and 2016 document the series of cuts in impact fees:
In 2010, Supervisors made a 50% cut in the Developer's traffic impact fees ($23,853 was cut in half):
In 2012, Supervisors cut the Developer's impact fee again to $7,163:
In 2016, the Developer's traffic impact fee was reduced again to $5,233:
From 2010 to 2016, the Supervisors cut the Developers' traffic impact fee by 78%. Later, the Supervisors realized their folly and raised the traffic impact fee. But they had already lost millions of dollars for road improvements.
The August 3, 2010 BOS Minutes (agenda item 17) states that Scott Fuller, representative of San Juan Oaks development, supported the 50% cut to the traffic impact fees and a delay in road improvements, such as widening Hwy. 25 and work on Union Rd.
Vote to NOT Widen Hwy. 25
In 2010, Supervisors voted not to fund the widening of Hwy 25 in order to lower the traffic impact fee for Developers and to encourage more housing construction.
The 2010 Freelance article about Supervisors voting to delay funding for the widening of Hwy 25 is found toward the end of this article:
Because Highway 25 stopped being funded by the Supervisors during this period, Caltrans dropped the project from its "constraint list," which is its priority list. Background information about the Caltrans "constraint list" can be found here: https://sanbenito.com/highway-25-expansion-project-officially-underway/.
At the August 3, 2010 Board of Supervisors' Minutes (agenda item 17), a representative of San Juan Oaks development, Scott Fuller, advocated for a 50% cut to the traffic impact fees and a delay in road improvements, such as widening Hwy. 25 and work on Union Rd.
In June 2024, after attending the Council of Government's May meeting, Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki said that he was alarmed to learn that Hwy. 25 would not be widened for 15 or more years.
See this short article from Supervisor Kosmicki's June 2024 newsletter for details: https://www.protectsanbenitocounty.org/post/hwy-25-wont-be-widened-for-15-yrs
Drop Level of Service for Roads from C to D
In 2012, Supervisors voted to drop the Level of Service of San Benito roads from C to D. This allows county roads to become more congested. Developers had lobbied for this change as it keeps their traffic impact fees low.
See Freelance articles at:
The Freelance article reports "Wittry said it is difficult to raise the level of service once it has been lowered. He urged the supervisors to maintain level of service C, especially since the traffic impact fees were set at a rate to support level C roadways."
The Freelance article mentioned that "Several members of the public voted in favor of lowering the level of service to D, including representatives from L&G law firm." L&G has represented developers and local landowners for several decades. The firm's current name is JRG.
It's look like I am driving in third world country. Union road. Shore road you name it. The patch work make more unsafe to driving vehicles now.