KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Santa Clarita city officials are looking at an investing in new traffic technology Tuesday to improve the flow of vehicles in and around local roads.
Sponsored Articles
The project, through a grant from Metro, would construct the Intelligent Transportation System Phase IV for about $2.19 million if the contract is approved.
The new project is part of a drastic overhaul about 12 years in the making, said Andrew Yi, a city traffic engineer. The new system is not only better coordinated than the previous system, which is nearly 30 years old, but it’s built for the future of traffic needs, which aren’t fully known.
Santa Clarita city officials are looking at a pair of traffic moves Tuesday to improve the flow of vehicles in and around local roads.
“When you have an adaptive system, it’s going to improve the reliability of our system, enhance our monitoring of traffic condition, as well as signal system operation,” Yi said, “and also it optimizes and increases the flexibility of signal timing, and collect traffic related data (which will also improve signal timing) and it will improve the response time for signal issues.”
There’s even the capability for the new system to be able to communicate with autonomous cars, once the standards and systems are in place.
“The goal of this project is to enhance the existing communication system by installing system detection equipment and adaptive traffic signal systems at various intersections,” according to the city’s agenda. “The project includes installing system detection at 10 intersections, re-synchronizing traffic signals at 39 intersections along Golden Valley Road, Newhall Ranch Road, Copper Hill Drive and Rye Canyon Road and deploying an adaptive traffic signal performance measurement system at 12 intersections along Copper Hill Drive, Rye Canyon Road, and Seco Canyon Road.”
Related story: Santa Clarita Traffic Center Keeps Commuters Moving
The current system is approximately 30 years old, officials said, and allows for the programming of nine separate traffic patterns throughout the day.
The new system provides a myriad of options, and the plan is to install them at more than 100 intersections throughout the city with the next phase of development.
“The synchronization of traffic signals on high volume arterials will give vehicles as many consecutive green lights as possible,” according to the city’s agenda. By closing gaps in the city’s network and installing fiber optic equipment along select corridors, this project will create a redundant, hardwired communication system which will allow the city to manage traffic operations more effectively.
“Traffic continues to change because our roadways continually change,” Yi said, noting the plan has been tested at Rye Canyon Road, and will soon be expanded to intersections citywide. “Eventually, we’re going to change everything.”
Its about bloody time. I’ve lived in Santa Clarita for more than 25 years and I’ve seen it go from a wonderful small town atmosphere to a raging city with traffic that is difficult at most times of the day. To and From work is a nightmare. Weekends are difficult to get around the town.
Besides this, the other problem is noise. There is no noise provision in place. Makes it hard to have conversations in the back yard as well as motorcycles racing on Bouquet during the night. Might be time to blow this donut stand. Its getting worse and no one on the city council seems to care.
Currently Soledad Canyon Road from Sierra Hwy to Bouquet Canyon is working well except at very high traffic time like when Canyon High lets out. I hope they at least don’t make this one worse.
Like all, I occasionally get frustrated with signal timing in the SCV. Andrew Yi is very knowledgeable and has a true concern to get it right. Our major streets are more like a bowl of spaghetti compared to the grid of a Lancaster or Phoenix that I often visit. Traffic signal control is much more complicated here. You go Andrew!
I hope they do something to direct the cars going down Golden Valley road to the Soledad overpass, where there is direct access to Soledad. Many people do not seem to realize they don’t have to go down Reuther to access Soledad and the traffic is getting much worse. Traffic is backed up on Soledad, Golden Triangle and Reuther in the morning commute, making it tougher for all concerned. A sign up the hill with directions to Soledad would be a good start.
Sierra and soledad are a nightmare now. More so this year than any year before. Last year I was able to leave my house at 7:15 drop off one kid at canyon high school and drop the other one off at school by 7:30. Now I have to leave at 6:45 because traffic is backed up past my house off american beauty.
The worst intrsection is not mentioned. Via Princessa under the 14 is a nightmare.
I hope the open up calgrove blvd in Newhall. It makes no sense to have it closed. People have to drive all the way around thru wiley canyon rd (where there are schools) to get to town, I often see speeders. It would be an easy win.
Leave it to our city officials to opt for an expensive and probably useless technology option. Whatever happened to Via Princessa? That was supposed to be finished over a decade ago. I live in Newhall and I’m tired of driving all the way around a big hole in the center of the city to get to Canyon Country.
“Myriad” is an adjective, not a noun.
I took a traffic engineering class in college. No easy task – especially with the non grid streets in the hills of Santa Clarita. Anything is better. Regardless of improvements, the disrespectful driviers in our city – some out of frustration – who ignore all lawss are worse problem as far as I’m concerned and will exist even with traffic light improvements. Thank you. John. I have lived here since 1988