FOR SAFETY'S SAKE, TAKE DOWN VALLEY/CALGROVE BARRICADES.

Byline: Glenda Bona

The city of Santa Clarita is weighing whether to remove barricades that separate Valley Street and Calgrove Boulevard in Newhall, placed more than a decade ago as a condition of development to protect a semi-rural lifestyle in the Valley Street area. Today's writers answer the question, ``Should Valley/Calgrove be a through route?''

Our city is suffering from a problem that will only increase as we continue to build out. It is called ``TMC'' - Too Many Cars! The obvious solution is to use all the roads we have and build new ones. Valley/Calgrove is an existing public road that provides a much needed road west to the Golden State (5) Freeway and south toward Los Angeles.

Opening Calgrove/Valley improves traffic circulation through our city. According to a recent traffic study, Lyons Avenue between Wiley Canyon Road and Newhall Avenue is currently operating at unacceptable levels of service. TMC.

Traffic in front of Wiley Canyon School is severely affected at drop-off and pickup times. When Wiley Canyon Road is extended all the way to Canyon Country, where will the cars go? If the city is successful with their proposed project, back-to-back cul-de-sacs will be built on Valley/Calgrove. Hidden Valley residents will have to use Wiley Canyon, too. This will add an estimated 1,100 more cars a day to Wiley Canyon's traffic count! Opening Valley/Calgrove provides a traffic release valve that will benefit the circulation through this entire area.

An open road enhances public safety. The Los Angeles County Fire Department says that the city is in violation of its own subdivision ordinances by building cul-de-sacs and closing these roads. These violations directly affect public evacuation and deployment of firefighting and other emergency equipment in the event of brush or forest fire. They say the proposed cul-de-sacs would also create a significant threat to the safety of residents. Opening this public road improves emergency response times to our neighborhoods. Safety is an issue for all citizens and is not dependent on which side of the barricades you reside.

It seems that the seniors are often the last to be considered, but in this case, they should be way up on the list. There are two large retirement homes on Valley Street. The seniors in those homes are very upset that the City Council has barricaded the road. This was their favored route and it allows them to drive safely and slowly to the Senior Center, local restaurants and businesses. It also keeps them from having to navigate the overcrowded Lyons Avenue and Wiley Canyon Road.

Opening a public road to the public is a total no-brainer. So what is the real issue here? Valley/Calgrove is a premier example of how Santa Clarita is run by the ``good ol'boy/girl'' network. It is all about politics and political favoritism. The majority of our City Council members are choosing to disregard the law for the benefit of their friends. It is ludicrous that the citizens of Santa Clarita would have to take an issue like this to court. The law is clear and our politicians are violating it in the interest of the favored few.

Finally, and most importantly to me, an open Valley/Calgrove joins our neighborhoods. Cul-de-sacs separate and divide. It's time to end this feud. It is all up to you, City Council. How you show up on this issue says a lot about your priorities and your character. Serve your citizens and open the road!