Greetings! I hope your year is going well. We are very busy here at City Hall, working on a variety of programs, projects and events for the community. One of the things I hear most about from our residents and the business community is concerns regarding traffic. People want to be able to travel through our valley and on freeways easily and conveniently, and that is certainly something we consider to be an important part of our quality of life here in Santa Clarita.
Traffic is not a Santa Clarita issue. Traffic is a regional issue and is something many communities across the country deal with on a regular basis. I believe that solving traffic issues is not something cities should tackle independent of one another. Traffic problems can only be solved by taking a big picture approach; by agencies private and public, working together, partnering and creating solutions on a regional basis. A great example of that kind of partnership is the Cross Valley Connector project. Led by the City of Santa Clarita, this 8-mile, six lane roadway will ultimately connect I-5/126 through the City, linking with SR 14. Can you guess how many agencies, contractors, utility companies, levels of government and private businesses are involved in this multi-year road construction project? If your guess is over one hundred, you are on the right track. To date, more than 150 entities have worked together to construct the Cross Valley Connector. The final segment, linking Newhall Ranch with Golden Valley Road, is expected to be completed late next year.
In an effort to further address traffic issues and provide more options for commuters, Santa Clarita is involved in the North County Transportation Coalition (NCTC), which works to improve the movement of people and goods in the North Los Angeles County region. The Orangeline Maglev Development Authority and other transportation organizations, committees and agencies focus on providing more transportation options for our growing Southland communities.
The Orangeline Maglev Development Authority has been working to implement a maglev system, which would run from Orange County to Palmdale. Maglev is short for magnetic levitation, which means that these trains will float over a guideway using the basic principles of magnets to replace the old steel wheel and track trains. The Maglev system uses a “green” electromagnetic energy, which is environmentally friendly as well as inexpensive. Raised above the street traffic, similar to the monorail at Disneyland, the maglev also travels quietly and at incredibly high speeds. The City of Santa Clarita is one of fifteen member cities providing input on the project. I currently serve as the Santa Clarita representative and I am a Director for the Orangeline Maglev Development Authority.
Several regional freeway projects completed or underway include the I-5 bridge widening over Magic Mountain Parkway and interchange improvements to the I-5/SR-126. In addition, Caltrans is currently constructing the I-5 carpool lanes from the I-5/SR-14 to the SR-118, which will be complete by the end of 2007, and lastly, the carpool interchange project on the I-5/SR-14 is anticipated to begin construction this year.
Additionally, our City’s transit program is currently undergoing expansion. Santa Clarita Transit currently provides local and commuter service as well as connections with the three Metrolink stations so that commuters can easily utilize the Metrolink train and our local bus service to get to work. Over the next year, we will be working with Metrolink to similarly expand their service and the number of trains on our line.
I hope I have provided you with some interesting information about the future of transportation in our region.
For more information, you may contact our Pubic Works Department at 661-255-4345.