HomeMy WebLinkAbout08 17 2026 - Public Comment - Paul Welka1
Stefan Mercer
From:Paul Welka <paulwelka@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 6, 2026 9:08 AM
To:Public Comments
Subject:EXTERNAL - Comments for City Council
I submitted these comments to the VTA today, and I think they might be of interest to the Mayor and the
City Council. Thank you.
Comments on US 101/SR 25/Santa Teresa Boulevard Extension NOP
As a long-time resident of Gilroy, I think there are two significant issues that should be analyzed in the
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and/or Environmental Assessment (EA) with regard to the US 101/SR
25/Santa Teresa Boulevard Extension.
1) Traffic volume, congestion, and travel times. Extending Santa Teresa to the Highway 25 interchange
will make Santa Teresa a “bypass”, i.e. a viable alternative route that many drivers (hundreds or
thousands) will use when traffic on US 101 is congested near Gilroy (which happens quite often). Apps
like Google Maps and Waze will suggest it (for example, exit the freeway at Masten and use southbound
Santa Teresa instead of US 101). There is little or no benefit to residents of Gilroy, just the opposite as it
will increase traffic and noise on Santa Teresa Boulevard. Historically, in situations like this, studies have
shown that adding more roads to a road network can slow down overall traffic flow through it ("Braess's
Paradox").
2) Visual, cultural, and historic resources. The proposed extension would cut through and ruin a
beautiful, historically significant area. This land was once part of cattle baron Henry Miller's sprawling
ranch. Henry Miller, who in the 19th century became the largest private land owner in US history, was
deeply significant to Gilroy. He shaped southern Santa Clara County's agricultural foundation and
helped bring the railroad to Gilroy. The proposed extension would cut through (or adjacent to) the
historical site of the Miller family's private cemetery and extend to the site of the massive Henry Miller
mansion (the 44 room mansion burned to the ground around 1920, but some ranch buildings from the
1870's are still visible). The concrete silos which were built in 1911 and the Miller train stop (there's still a
structure there) are also visible from the US 101 / SR 25 interchange. The historic Sargent town and
Sargent oil field processing station were about one mile to the south.
Paul Welka, Gilroy, CA
CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or
responding to this email.