RESIDENTS WANT NEW TRAFFIC SIGNALS.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - After three violent collisions that took five lives and injured 10 other people in the past six weeks, sheriff's deputies have beefed up traffic enforcement, hoping that area motorists will slow down.

While deputies have noticed a decrease in speeds since their added presence on Soledad Canyon and Sand Canyon roads, some area residents are battling speeders on another front. They want the city of Santa Clarita to install traffic signals at at two main intersection along Soledad: Flowerpark Drive and Shadow Pines Boulevard.

While the two intersections have ranked low on the city's priority list for traffic lights, those rankings might change when Santa Clarita's annual traffic signal priority study comes out in June, said associate traffic engineer Norman Baculinao.

Officials will look at criteria such as traffic volume, speed and the number of incidents at those locations and others to determine need, Baculinao said.

``We put a lot of weight on accidents,'' Baculinao said. ``Typically, we look for the right-angle-type collisions.''

The most recent fatal crash on Soledad Canyon, near Flowerpark Drive, is the type of collision officials will examine.

The 10:35 p.m. crash March 21 killed 16-year-old Lisa Jones, the only passenger in a pickup truck driven west on Soledad by Brandon Davis. Davis told authorities he swerved to avoid a car turning from Flowerpark and lost control of his vehicle.

While officials generally allot about $160,000 a year to install what they believe is the most-needed traffic signal, last year two sites were chosen: one at Plum Canyon Road and Rodgers Drive in Saugus, the other at Rye Canyon Road and Avenue Crocker in the Valencia Industrial Center.

Meanwhile, Sheriff's Department officials are continuing to keep a watchful eye on potential offenders, pleased that speeds seem to be plummeting.

Motorists were initially cited for speeds reaching 78 mph in the 50 mph zone. During the most recent traffic enforcement efforts, authorities noticed that the higher speeds decreased to a range between 63 mph and 72 mph, Bowers said. After patrolling Soledad and Sand Canyon Road for four days, deputies had issued 84 citations and 68 warnings.

``We're hoping the warnings are working,'' Bowers said. ``We are not trying to go out there and cite everyone who moves.''

The objective, Bowers said, is to get drivers to slow down.

Bowers said a good portion of speeding offenders are traveling from the Antelope Valley.

``(Motorists) are caught up in their day. Instead of being attentive, they are thinking of other things,'' Bowers said.

The sites of the fatal crashes - Soledad Canyon Road between Sand Canyon and Shadow Pines - and the location of a third serious crash - on Sand Canyon near Soledad - have drawn residents' attention to those particular routes, but Bowers reiterated Friday that crashes occur throughout the Santa Clarita area.

Friday night, deputies were scheduled to conduct motorcycle enforcement along Soledad Canyon Road and along Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road. Bowers said residents can expect increased enforcement along Sierra Highway, Soledad and near the intersection of Soledad and Bouquet Canyon Road.