Heads up! Stay safe on Santa Clarita streets this summer

Sunday Signal
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Bike month is wrapping up in Santa Clarita. If you did not take advantage of the rides and excitement, don’t worry. Our beautiful trails and paseos are always there for your cycling enjoyment. Coupled with our new Pace Bike Share program, there has never been a healthier or more environmentally friendly way to get around. I encourage you to visit BikeSantaClarita.com for more information on bike trails, safety tips and community cycling events in our City.

Being more than halfway through the month of May also signifies that the end of the school year is nearly upon us. With schools out of session for the summer, I know families are looking forward to quality time spent together at the City’s parks, Aquatic Center and events throughout Santa Clarita. However, this means there will be more cars, pedestrians and cyclists travelling through the City.

As such, it is an important time of year to review safe behaviors as a driver, pedestrian or cyclist with the City’s “Heads Up!” public safety campaign. We all play a role in the safety of our City, which is why it is important to always disconnect from distractions. Drivers must obey posted speed limits and anticipate pedestrians in crosswalks, and pedestrians should only cross the street at marked crosswalks, unless they are taking advantage of a pedestrian bridge or paseo.  

Especially since our youngest residents will be out of class and outside more often – playing with neighborhood friends and walking to parks – drivers please exercise extra caution and slow down through residential zones. This way, we will ensure everyone in Santa Clarita returns home safely at the end of each day.

Pedestrians and cyclists can also help improve safety on our streets by taking extra time when crossing intersections and ensuring they are seen by motorists. Being predictable and following the rules of the road can be a life or death decision. Please don’t be on your phone, don’t forget to stop at the curb, be sure to look both ways and then cross when it is safe. And, please teach your children to do the same.   

As we move into the summer months and enjoy all of the fun that comes with it, let’s remember to take a second and evaluate our safety behaviors, whether we are cyclists, pedestrians or drivers. With more people on the roads and sidewalks, we must do our part as residents to maintain Santa Clarita’s status as one of the safest cities in the nation and keep the number of auto incidents, especially those involving pedestrians and cyclists, on a downward trend.

Let’s all continue to work together to protect our families and neighbors in this City we all love. Please visit santa-clarita.com/HeadsUp to learn more about what you can do to improve traffic safety in Santa Clarita.

Mayor Marsha McLean is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at [email protected].

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