Residents, officials raise pedestrian and traffic safety concerns at Empire MAC meeting

At the May 28 meeting of the Empire Municipal Advisory Council, public-safety and transportation issues drew attention from both residents and council members.

The California Highway Patrol reported local incident data since January 2025, listing 2 minor crashes, 8 hit-and-runs, 13 property-damage crashes, 3 generalized arrests, 9 reckless-driving calls, 8 reports of stolen vehicles and 2 recovered abandoned stolen vehicles. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office was included in the monthly reports, but the minutes do not record individual names for the county presentation.

Rafael Rodriguez raised the status of a proposed improvement project involving the county and Cal‑Trans that was first discussed with the community in March 2022 and had been expected to begin in 2024. Jennifer Hidalgo and Danielle Morgan said they would contact elected officials for more information about the project's timeline.

A community member asked about installation of sidewalks through a "Safe Route to School" grant; Jennifer Hidalgo said she would check into it. Separately, another resident expressed concern about pedestrian safety near a local camp, saying it is dark there at night and there are no sidewalks. Hidalgo said she would investigate that concern as well.

Zach of the Stanislaus County Public Works Department reminded residents to use the Stan Connect app to report local infrastructure issues so the county can address them.

No formal motions or votes were recorded on these topics; council members indicated staff and representatives would follow up with elected officials and report back at a future meeting.