header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 28
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir


| Tuesday, Apr 9, 2019
Deputies investigate the circumstances surrounding a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian in front of Saugus High School. Cory Rubin/The Signal

 

Santa Clarita celebrates its status as one of America’s safest cities, and a few years back, local leadership became aware of a problem facing communities everywhere: the roads remain a dangerous place for distracted drivers, cyclists and especially pedestrians.

In 2016, for example, more than 1,000 nonmotorists (138 cyclists and 867 pedestrians; 1,005 total) were killed in collisions in California alone.

California and Santa Clarita weren’t the exception to the rule.

Nationally, the number of pedestrian deaths for 2016 (5,987) was at its highest level in 25 years, according to the most recent data available from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Santa Clarita’s response was to bring together city leadership, its traffic engineers and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station to create a traffic-safety plan, according to Rebecca Widdison, management analyst with the city of Santa Clarita.

The traffic safety plan helped local leadership form a team, and the team eventually led to the Heads Up campaign, which is part of a three-pronged effort by the group to address education, enforcement and engineering; education through the outreach campaign, engineering with the help of the city’s traffic team and enforcement through what the city calls “productivity,” or corrective actions by law enforcement officials.

In 2018, for example, productivity, or Sheriff’s Department measures to increase safety, such as citations for distracted driving, has increased 13 percent, and increased by 65 percent since the traffic-safety team was formed in 2016.

While there are still challenges, the partnership has made a significant statistical difference in almost all of the city’s most challenging intersections, according to Widdison.

“Due to our successful partnership and collaboration between our City Council and our Sheriff’s Department and the hard work of our Santa Clarita motor deputies, in 2018 alone, total collisions were down 14 percent,” Widdison noted. “Since implementation in 2017, the number of our total collisions in Santa Clarita are down 24 percent.”

The five busiest intersections by traffic volume in 2017-18:

Newhall Ranch Road and Bouquet Canyon Road
Soledad Canyon Road and Bouquet Canyon Road
Newhall Ranch Road and McBean Parkway
Soledad Canyon Road and Whites Canyon Road
Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway

The city released Monday a list of the intersections with the highest volume of traffic and the highest number of incidents in Santa Clarita, which is something the city monitors with its traffic engineers as part of an ongoing safety effort, Widdison said.

While the city works directly with the SCV Sheriff’s Station, it also called on drivers and those on foot and bicycles to help, too, especially in light of Heads Up, and furthering distracted driving awareness.

“We’re always looking at the data and as trends in our community arrive, our traffic team will meet to discuss them,” Widdison said. “April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and we want to urge residents to utilize crosswalks and pedestrian bridges whenever possible.”

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

1 Comment

  1. jim says:

    All you need to do is make personal vehicle access to the roads, highways, bike trails and hiking trails “Electronic devices-free zones” and you will reduce the self-sacrificing, ignorant and idiotic damages of people traveling without a steel shell to a minimum.

    If you can get the other-wise occupied motor vehicle drivers to do the same thing, that will reduce another bag-full of injuries and deaths.

    Now,doesn’t that seem like you will save theirs and many other lives as well?

    And if we’re lucky, skaters and skateboarders will learn the same lesson by the time they are 18.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDEC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
The first Music Jam Session at The MAIN was held on Thursday, Feb. 22 and was a hit. Come out and join in for the next one on Thursday, March 28 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
March 28: The MAIN to Host Musicians’ Jam Session
Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman of the Office of Inspector General has issued a report entitled "Tenth Report Back on Implementing Body-Worn Cameras in Los Angeles County."
Office of Inspector General Issues Latest Report on LASD Body Cams
College of the Canyons women's tennis played to a convincing 7-2 conference win over Ventura College on Moica to strengthen its potential playoff resume.
Canyons Closes Out Ventura 7-2 in Final Home Match
Join the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce with the Latino Business Alliance at the Cinco de Mayo Networking Celebration on Tuesday, May 7.
May 7: Latino Business Alliance Cinco de Mayo Celebration
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control is hosting March Meowness promotion where all cat adoptions are just $15 from now until April 9.
Adopt a Cat During March Meowness at Castaic Animal Center
California State University, Northridge is partnering with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Tataviam Land Conservancy to battle the impact of climate change in disadvantaged communities throughout the San Fernando Valley by establishing “urban forests.”
CSUN Partners with Fernandeño Tataviam Band to Build Urban Forests
Join the Santa Clarita Artists Association on Monday, April 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, 23630 Valencia Blvd., Valencia, CA 91355, for the SCAA monthly meeting and guest demonstrator.
April 15: SCAA Presents Debbie Abshear Watercolor Demo
Residents are invited to join members of the Santa Clarita City Council for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of Santa Clarita's 38th park, Skyline Ranch Park, 18355 Skyline Ranch Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91351, to the Santa Clarita parks system on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m.
April 6: Grand Opening for Santa Clarita’s 38th Park
The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center is preparing for the annual fundraising event, Celebrity Waiter, with the theme “California Dreamin’” on Saturday, April 27 at Bella Vida, 27180 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91351.
Table Sponsorships Still Available for Celebrity Waiter Dinner
Springtime in Santa Clarita brings not only vibrant blooms and opportunities to embrace the outdoors with warmer weather, but also an array of free, family-friendly events and this Saturday is no exception.
Ken Striplin | A Fun, Festive, Egg-Filled Day
SCVNews.com