City Council to look into speed limits
Officials to also discuss phase one construction of Canyon Country Community Center
After meeting with other city officials earlier this week to plan for the new budget, the City Council will reconvene Tuesday to consider changes to the area’s speed limit signage, as well as discuss steps to advance the Canyon Country Community Center.
Residents will have to keep an eye on multiple speed limit signs located across Santa Clarita as some may increase while others decrease. At their regular meeting, the City Council will look into adopting a resolution establishing prima facie speed limits brought about by a staterequired study.
Should the City Council move forward with the adoption, changes will be established “on nearly every major, secondary, and collector roadway within the city of Santa Clarita,” according to a city staff report.
Some streets, listed on the report with a proposed decrease of 5 mph each, include parts of Copper Hill Drive, from 55 mph to 50 mph, and sections of Creekside Road from 35 mph to 30 mph. Those with a proposed increase, also of 5 mph, include Canyon View Drive, Lost Canyon Road and Alta Vista Avenue.
These proposed changes come from a citywide engineering and traffic survey study, performed in accordance with the provisions of the California Vehicle Code and as recommended by the California Department of Transportation Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
“(The study) is a requirement by state law,” said Mark Hunter, transportation planning analyst with the city. In order for local law enforcement to continue using radar and laser enforcement, a study is needed by the state, he said. This also means that without it, the Los Angeles County Superior Court will not uphold a speeding violation issued by the Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies then would have to use less-effective
methods, such as pacing speeding drivers. The use of radar enforcement has proved to be a successful method of reducing collisions, which have dropped 14 percent in Santa Clarita and remains the lowest since 2001, Hunter said.
City Communications Manager Carrie Lujan said the takeaway of this study is to offer “safety for those traveling on our streets.”
Canyon Country Community Center
Also on Tuesday, the City Council will consider approving plans and specifications for phase one of the Canyon Country
Community Center, which includes rough grading, improvements to the Mint Canyon Channel and storm drains and a stormwater infiltration system.
If approved, the construction contract would be awarded to Santa Anabased company Sukut Construction for nearly $11 million.
Phase one construction is slated to commence this April, immediately followed by phase two construction, where the community center building, parking lots, walkways and landscape will be built.