CALTRANS PETITIONED TO OPEN UP CAR-POOL LANES.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer Caltrans is being urged to open up the car-pool lanes on the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. to all traffic during nonpeak hours. On a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , the Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday asking the state Transportation Department to look into the issue. The motion had the support of the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. ``The new car-pool lanes between Sand Canyon and Escondido Canyon roads will ease traffic congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. during peak travel hours,'' Antonovich said. ``However, opening these lanes to all traffic during weekends and nonpeak hours would maximize the use of these lanes.'' There are car-pool lanes in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern that allow all traffic during nonpeak hours, but none operate that way within Caltrans District 7, which includes the Antelope Valley Freeway. ``We are willing to look at what the supervisors are proposing, but we don't operate like that in District 7,'' said Caltrans spokeswoman Margie Tiritilli. Such an operation would require additional signs and might cause confusion for motorists, Tiritilli said. The idea for opening the car-pool lanes to all traffic arose during a Sept. 24 transportation summit in Quartz Hill. The gathering, which included representatives from Lancaster and Palmdale and the Antelope Valley's state legislators, was aimed at findings ways to expedite the expansion of the Antelope Valley Freeway and Highway 138. Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley officials, including Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, have expressed concern about the practicality of car-pool lanes given the diverse final destinations of commuters heading into the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and Los Angeles Basin The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the peninsular and transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs (both in Los Angeles . Runner has suggested Caltrans look at other alternatives, such as reversible traffic lanes. Caltrans opened a car-pool lane in each direction of the Antelope Valley Freeway between Sand Canyon Road and Escondido Canyon Road on Sept. 22. The $30 million project took three years to complete. Caltrans is planning to add 18.9 miles of car-pool lanes to the freeway from Escondido Canyon to Pearblossom Highway. That work could start as early as December. Caltrans also plans to add car-pool lanes from the Interstate 5 interchange to San Fernando Road San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the , a $9.9 million project, starting next fall. CAPTION(S): Map Map: ANTELOPE VALLEY FREEWAY CAR-POOL LANES Daily News |
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