Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Extending Roads Advised to Ease Santa Clarita Traffic Woes

More than a year after it was commissioned to review traffic problems in the city, a citizens committee has recommended extending four local roads and building another to help ease traffic through Santa Clarita’s core.

Magic Mountain Parkway, Newhall Ranch Road and Via Princessa should be extended to improve east-west traffic flow, according to the Citizens’ Transportation Advisory Committee. Similarly, the existing Golden Valley Road should be extended and the proposed Santa Clarita Parkway should be built to improve north-south travel.

None of the improvements would exceed six lanes, and the roads would be restricted only to local traffic and delivery trucks.

The committee’s recommendations also deal with the proposed extension of California 126.

California Department of Transportation officials considered connecting the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways with an eight-lane expressway that would have cut through Santa Clarita, jeopardizing homes and businesses. Two final alignments proposed for the road were ultimately rejected by the City Council in October.

The advisory committee has called for the extension of California 126 to occur north of Santa Clarita.

Critics say the state road designation could still occur along the east-west transportation corridor the committee is trying to create with the road improvements.

“You can keep putting another set of earrings on it and more lipstick on it--it still looks like a pig,” said Jack Curenton, leader of Citizens for a Better Santa Clarita Valley, which opposes the proposed expressway.

Curenton said he wants an April, 1994, ballot measure to guarantee the route will not be taken over later by Caltrans and expanded to eight lanes.

The planning commission will consider the proposed amendments during a study session Tuesday night, after its 7 p.m. meeting.

Santa Clarita is accepting applications to fill two vacancies on the panel that occurred in June. Applications are due Aug. 20.