KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
A bill introduced to the California Senate Friday proposes adding two lanes to both directions of the 5 Freeway with no speed limit, possibly in Santa Clarita, officials said.
Senate Bill 316, authored by Senator Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, would add traffic lanes on the northbound and southbound I-5 freeway and State Route 99, prohibiting the imposition of a maximum speed limit for those lanes, though the bill does not detail exactly where.
“If Sacramento is serious about allowing Californians to travel between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and the High-Speed Rail will take too long to build, let’s construct four additional lanes with no maximum speed limit to provide for high speed on a safe road,” said Moorlach.
The proposal comes at the heels of Governor Gavin Newsom cutting back on the California High-Speed Rail Project last week.
The bill’s author argues the lane could ease the state’s gridlock, with a lane system similar to Germany’s Autobahn, which has no maximum limit on speed.
Existing law states that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has full possession and control of the state highway system, according to the bill.
The proposed legislation would require the DOT to initiate a project to construct two additional traffic lanes on the I-5 and State Route 99, with no maximum speed limit, the bill said.
Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, is in favor of added infrastructure on the 5 Freeway, but opposed to creating an “Autobahn” in California.
“As someone who drives along the 5, I agree we do need more infrastructure,” said Wilk. “But proposing no speed limits is not the answer.”
Wilk said a better investment to the 5 Freeway, a “backbone” for the state, would be adding technology to the aging interstate.
“There are technologies like hyperloop and electronic monorails currently being developed right here in California,” said Wilk. “These are the opportunities to upgrade our freeways.”
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This is the most stupid thing I’ve heard yet. Sure everyone drives well over the speed limit now and look at the increase of fatalities has gone way up. This is only advocating wreckless speeding within CA. What makes you think that street racing is nit going to turn into freeway racing. Think about it. A real stupid move with no thought put into it.
Not a good idea!
Watch so many cars flip over. They’re just mad because they lost their high speed funding. Who voted for this senaturd? Research who initially decided to stop this project and you probably won’t be happy..
This is a great idea. What are you talking about. I guarantee you that Donna and Theresa have never actually driven on the Autobahn and seen how it decreases fatalities if all can travel quickly. When some are speeding and others aren’t you get accidents. When everybody is speeding you don’t… and its not called speeding anymore.
Yeah, It’s a great idea; just like rats make cool pets.
This has to be the dumbest idea ever. Substitute speedless lanes for a bullet train. One increases the risk of death and injury. One reduces it. One increases pollution. One reduces it. One increases insurance rates. One reduces them. Not to mention it is taking 5 years to add one lane to a 40 mile stretch of the 5 through Santa Clarita with all kinds of traffic delays, inconvenience and additional accidents. What do they think adding two lanes half the length of the state will cause and for how long? And for Cardon, I HAVE driven in Europe but they DO have bullet trains, which results in far less traffic on all of their freeways.
That 40 mile stretch of construction covers a lot more than adding a lane in each direction. In case you missed it (enter a little bit of sarcasm), the paste few years has been a complete retrofit of the entire I-5 corridor and they have been removing 18+ inches of damaged concrete and base material, in each lane (two lanes at the same time when possible) and installing reinforcement, new base and new concrete so it last much longer and can supposedly handle the forecasted / additional amount of traffic due to the large developments in the County (Newhall Ranch located behind Magic Mountain, The additional homes by Castaic Lake, and the monster development off the 138 near Gorman). I do agree that the no speed limit lanes along the I-5 and 99 will be disastrous and lead to many more deaths. Oh, and I hate the bullet train too…
Am I am the only person who has driven over 80 mph on the 5? The HIGH SPEED TRAIN FRAUD is obvious from the rail construction projects in the Central Valley. The people doing the design have NO CONCEPT of what they are supposed to do. I heard that they planned the routes from a Google Earth map, not by actually inspecting the area. If the tracks are not gradual, hi-speed trains cannot operate. Pictures of overpasses show a big bump in the train track route.
All the liberal government people who want to emulate the genres of Europe; trains, bike riding, congestion pricing, etc, should be thrilled at putting an Autobahn in California.
Start grading the Old Ridge Route into two eight lane freeways. That will keep the congestion off the 5. Maybe that’ non forward enough thinking for short term thinking policians and of course CalTrans.