To better accommodate traffic patterns and increase traffic flow at the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway, the eastbound curb lane on Soledad Canyon Road approaching Sierra Highway is being modified to a dynamic lane. The dynamic lane becomes an exclusive right-turn only or a shared through/right-turn lane depending on time of day and traffic patterns.
City engineers are adopting this new approach to increase the number of vehicles passing along eastbound Soledad Canyon Road during peak traffic hours. The dynamic lane is the first of its kind in Santa Clarita and will be implemented this month.
Drivers will be alerted about the lane restriction through a series of electronic signs that will be installed along the eastbound approach to Soledad Canyon Road between Vilna Avenue and Sierra Highway.
The lane becomes a through/right-turn lane during weekday evenings and a right-turn only lane all other times. City engineers have set the lane assignment based on real-time usage statistics with the goal of assisting traffic flow during peak hours. Restriction hours are subject to change.
“Our data has shown that during certain hours of the day, we have a significantly higher number of drivers going straight, than those making a right turn at the Soledad and Sierra Highway intersection. So we see a benefit in making the curb lane a shared through/right-turn lane during those times—it increases traffic flow,” says Traffic Signal System Administrator, Cesar Romo. “Traffic flow changes throughout the day. The dynamic lane is an example of how we can use data and technology to be responsive to changing patterns and improve traffic conditions on our streets,” he adds.
This project is one of many traffic improvements made by the city’s engineering team to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road at Sierra Highway, one of the busiest intersections in the city.
Previously completed projects to improve traffic conditions at Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway include: northbound triple left-turn lanes; an additional left-turn lane was added for northbound motorists who travel westbound on Soledad Canyon Road, allowing more vehicles to turn left on a green signal.
Southbound Median and Striping Modification Striping along the southbound direction of Soledad Canyon Road at Sierra Highway was modified to accommodate an additional left-turn lane and through lane, reducing traffic delay during peak hours. In addition, a rubber median has been temporarily constructed until a new raised median is installed as part of the Canyon Country Community Center project.
For more information about these traffic improvements or the new dynamic lane, please contact Traffic Signal System Administrator, Cesar Romo at cromo@santa-clarita.com.
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13 Comments
People are still making a left turn in the vallarta center on soledad. Need a big no left turn sign. There’s one small one across but its bent and can’t see it.
Finally… if people just respect the signs ughh
OH great. Solve one problem and create another. The number of people who are going to turn right into the 7-11 parking lot about 60-70ft east of the intersection has always been fairly high. They’ve been able to move into that lane from the #2 lane and not stop traffic. Now when L3 is a “Thru” lane, those folks will back that lane up into the intersection. And then those impatient morons behind them will try to change lanes into the #2 lane.
Keep the tow trucks and ambulances ready.
While they are at it, why don’t they go ahead and widen Soledad to three lanes all the way to Sand Canyon? Drivers blowing down the #3 lane to pass the folks going only 50mph (in the 40mph area) have to dive in between cars on the #2 lane to avoid the #3 lane cutoff at River Cir. I keep waiting for some guy in an old pickup to speed up so the next idiot cannot get past him on the right as the lane ends.
As for the left turns to get to Vallarta as mentioned above: signs won’t do a thing. Raised medians are the only solution to that problem. And then of course, people will make U-turns at Sierra Hwy to get there.
Alex Lopez
That’s going to cause annoyance as people intending to continue eastbound in the right lane have to wait for right turners who are waiting for pedestrians to finish crossing. The current configuration does mean that the center and left lanes are backed up further than the right lane when the light’s red, but everyone in the right lane is waiting to turn right and not holding up a motorist who wants to continue through the intersection.
Evening time on a weekend! That traffic is horrible Monday – Friday!!!
This will accomplish nothing. SCV is too big for it’s design. Theirs a reason large city’s are grid layouts
Widen the 14
I completely agree with Jim above. Making that a through lane will only cause accidents (more than backups I think)of people turning into the 7-11 parking lot. I don’t think the city is making a wise choice here. As for widening the 14, good idea but commuters still use Sierra Hwy as a second highway………… slow the hell down people. Life if too short.
This will not improve anything will just make it worse, traffic is beyond horrible because they are building more and more houses and Santa Clarita is already overpopulated as it is.
Guess I’m one of the guilty ones making the left turn into the Vallarta shopping center. How else can you get in there?
MB – I may have made one of those lefties as well. You can turn left at the previous signal (Shangri-La?)and make a quick right into the back side of Vallarta right* again and follow the parking around to the front of “the Center” to get into Vallarta. But you’ll have to watch out for the Lefties from Soledad because they tend to jump on the gas in order to get through the gaps in the westbound traffic.
*If you go the other way ’round, you may find that trucks are unloading and making it hard to get through.
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