Tag Archives: Santa Clarita

Amgen Tour of California stops in Santa Clarita during Bike Week LA

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Cyclists with Magic Mountain in the background. Photo from Santa Clarita Tour of CA 2013 Official Facebook

Cyclists with Magic Mountain in the background. Photo from Santa Clarita Tour of CA 2013 Official Facebook

The City of Santa Clarita will be one of the host cities for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California next week, which also happens to be Bike Week LA. The city will be the site of the Stage 3 Finish on Tuesday, May 14, and the Stage 4 Start on Wednesday, May 15.

There will be a series of events to celebrate the bicycle race, including a viewing party at Salt Creek Grille, SENSES Rock the Bike, and Bike to Work Day. Don’t miss the Lifestyle Festival on Tuesday, May 14, which will take place at the Westfield Valencia Town Center at the corner of Citrus and Magic Mountain Parkway, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Check Santa Clarita Transit for public transportation routes.

Traffic will be impacted on local roads during the course of the event, keep reading after the jump to see the details.

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Public hearing next week on proposal to build HOT lanes on I-5 in Santa Clarita area

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I-5 HOT lanes meeting notice

The meeting notice is above; the meeting is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. this Thursday, March 28, at Santa Clarita City Hall in the Council chambers.

The project proposes to accelerate the construction of 13.5 miles of HOV lanes by making them HOT lanes — i.e. lanes in which vehicles with one or two occupants would pay a toll (the toll would apply to two-occupant vehicles only at peak hours). Here’s a post with many more details about the project.

The hearing is required because the project’s environmental study, completed in 2009, must be amended to include the newly-proposed HOT lanes.

Metro to hold public hearings on unmet transit needs in North County and City of Avalon

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Metro will be holding a series of Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 8 public hearings for the use of TDA Article 8 funds in the North County and the City of Avalon.

The TDA Article 8 funds are for those areas of Los Angeles County that do not have Metro service because they are located outside Metro’s service area. These areas include Antelope Valley (Palmdale & Lancaster), Santa Clarita Valley and Santa Catalina Island (City of Avalon). These hearings will determine TDA Article 8 budget funding allocation for FY 2013-14 for the North County and Avalon.

This year the hearing board consists of Michael Cano, representing Supervisor Antonovich’s office, Lancaster Vice Mayor Marvin Crist, Palmdale City Council member Steve Hofbauer and Julie Moore representing Supervisor Don Knabe’s office.

The following is a list of upcoming TDA Article 8 hearings scheduled in March and April.

  • Monday, March 18, 2013, (2 p.m.) Newhall Public Library, Community Room, 24500 Main Street, Santa Clarita.
  • Tuesday, March 19, 2013, (2 p.m.)  American Heroes Park Building, 701 West Kettering, Lancaster.
  • Tuesday, March 19, 2013 (4:30 p.m.) Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, Lilac Room, 38350 Sierra Highway, Palmdale.
  • Tuesday, April 16, 2013 (7 p.m.) Avalon City Hall, 410 Avalon Canyon Road, Avalon.

Those unable to attend the meetings and would like to comment can do so by sending their comments to: Metro Article 8 Hearing Record, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Mail Stop 99-24-1, Attn: Armineh Saint or email sainta@metro.net. Comments must be received by April 30, 2013.

To accelerate the building of 13.5 miles of HOV lanes on I-5 in Santa Clarita area, Metro proposes charging tolls for vehicles with one or two occupants to use the lanes

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I5_project_map

Metro this month is providing key details on plans to accelerate an important Measure R project for northern Los Angeles County. The project would add carpool lanes for 13.5 miles in both directions to Interstate 5 through the Santa Clarita area. A toll for vehicles with one or two occupants (at peak hours only for vehicles with two occupants) would be charged to use the lanes — with the tolls being used to finance the construction of the carpool lanes about 30 years earlier than planned in Metro's long-range plan.

There's a lot more detail in the Q & A that follows in the post. The absolute crucial details: the lanes would be managed to maintain speeds of at least 45 mph, the number of general traffic lanes would remain the same and the new lanes will add capacity to the freeway, especially when coupled with the new truck lanes being built on either side of the Newhall Pass.

There are two community meetings scheduled this month to discuss the project. The public can ask questions and provide feedback. Content at all meetings will be identical; please attend the location most convenient for you. All meetings are open to the public and we urge you to invite your friends and neighbors.

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013, 6-8 PM
Sports Complex – City of Santa Clarita
20880 Centre Pointe Pkwy
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Served by Santa Clarita Transit Lines 5 and 6

Thursday, February 28, 2013, 6-8 PM
Rancho Pico Junior High School
26250 Valencia Bl
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
Served by Santa Clarita Transit Line 7

Below is the Q&A on the project with a lot more detail and there's a short Power Point on the project after the jump. I'm interested in your thoughts on the project, particularly if you live in Santa Clarita or elsewhere in northern L.A. County.

What exactly is the project proposing to do?

The project would use a public-private partnership to build one carpool/toll lane in each direction to the I-5 freeway for 13.5 miles between the 14 freeway and Parker Road. A private firm would be hired to help fund, build and manage the lanes and be paid back with toll revenue. That would allow the project to be completed by 2019 instead of 2040 or later.

This stretch of freeway includes some of the fastest-growing areas in Southern California — the city of Santa Clarita has gone from 79,000 people in 1979 to more than 201,000 in 2012 and is expected to add 50,000 more people in the next 30 years, not including growth in the unincorporated parts of the Santa Clarita Valley. Not surprisingly, traffic congestion in the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas has worsened; the average one-way commute time of 32.7 minutes for Santa Clarita residents is among the highest in Los Angeles County.

The carpool/toll lane will be used for free by those in cars with three or more passengers. Buses, van pools and motorcycles would also use the lanes for free. Cars with two people will be able to use the lanes for free outside of peak hours — during peak hours they will be charged a toll. Single motorists will be charged a toll at all times.

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Groundbreaking ceremony held for new McBean Park-and-Ride

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Local officials break ground on the new McBean Parkway Transit Center expansion today in Santa Clarita. Photo by Juan Ocampo/Metro.

Local officials break ground on the new McBean Parkway Transit Center expansion today in Santa Clarita. Photo by Juan Ocampo/Metro.

The McBean Regional Transfer Station will soon be expanding with a new McBean Park-and-Ride. The project will include 282 new parking spaces that are much needed as other park and ride lots in the Santa Clarita area and at nearby Metrolink stations are at full capacity.

“With $2.97 million MTA Call for Projects funding, the new McBean Park and Ride will be another vital link in our county-wide transportation system,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Chairman of the Metro Board. “Santa Clarita Valley commuters will be able to carpool or vanpool from here, as well as connect with local Santa Clarita transit buses, Metrolink and express buses into the Los Angeles region.”

Currently, the McBean Regional Transit Center connects Santa Clarita’s local and express buses to major destinations throughout Santa Clarita, the San Fernando Valley, Westwood, Century City, Union Station, and downtown Los Angeles. The new park and ride will also add two more passenger loading areas for express bus boarding, along with lighting and bike lockers.

Metro provided 50 percent of the McBean Park-and-Ride project cost, programming $2.97 million through the 2007 Call for Projects.

Metro CEO Art Leahy talking at the groundbreaking today. Photo by Juan Ocampo/Metro.

Metro CEO Art Leahy talking at the groundbreaking today. Photo by Juan Ocampo/Metro.

Transportation headlines, Friday, May 13

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

To the Angels game on a rail deal (L.A. Times)

Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line -- seen here at the Action station -- recently added an express train. Photo by SpokkerJones, via Flickr.

Columnist Chris Erskine writes a charming ode to day at the ballpark courtesy of the new Angels Express Metrolink service. Chris finds the $7 round-trip fare  quite the bargain, and the chance to have someone else doing the driving… priceless. As he puts it: “I suppose you could drive the 60-mile round trip on your own, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter with each passing furlong. Do you ever have those dreams where you’re braking in your sleep? I do.”

Our View: New train service great for commute (The Signal)

Here’s a second helping of good news about Metrolink’s recently improved service. A new express train from the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita to Union Station in L.A. has The Signal singing praises and hopeful for a future where locals don’t have to squeeze their cars through the Newhall Pass every morning getting to work. A 50-minute Metrolink ride is a mighty tempting alternative and the Signal thinks it may be enough to restore faith in Metrolink as a viable alternative.

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Transportation headlines, Monday, May 2

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Despite a rough road for transit, there are positive signs (Boston Globe)

In an interview, William Millar — the chief of the American Public Transportation Assn. — says that ridership suffered in the past two years as a result of a dismal economy, high unemployment, declining revenues and service cuts. He also defends transit as something worthy of government subsidies:

The same critics don’t usually say, “Well, the local street network ought to pay for itself, the police department ought to pay for itself, the schools out to pay for themselves.’’ Public transportation is a public service. Yes, it has a direct benefit to users, and that’s part of why fares are charged, but the benefits of people using public transit accrue to the entire society whether you ever use it or not.

More headlines are after the jump.

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