City celebrates Vista Canyon Bus Transfer Station groundbreaking

Cameron Smyth, Mayor for the City of Santa Clarita, Laurene Weste Council Member, Marsha McLean, Council Member, Aja Najarian Metro Board Director, Jim Backer JBS Development President, Stephanie English, Senior Field Supervisor with the Los Angeles County, Bob Kellar Council Member, (left to right) heave fresh soil with gold shovels commemoration the groundbreaking for the Vista Canyon Bus Transfer Station that is expected to serve the new Vista Canyon Development currently in construction phase, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Gilbert Bernal/The Signal
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As city and county officials dug in their shovels, the city of Santa Clarita celebrated the much-anticipated groundbreaking of the Vista Canyon Bus Transfer Station in Canyon Country.

“This new bus transfer station will expand the city’s mobility network into this part of the region, making Santa Clarita one of Southern California’s most well-connected, transit-friendly communities,” Mayor Cameron Smyth said. “The Vista Canyon development’s ideal location makes it easy to get around the Santa Clarita Valley and other destinations by bike, rail or bus, and soon residents will be able to travel in and out of Santa Clarita with ease.”

This bus station is part of a larger multi-modal transit hub that will feature a nearby Metrolink station, which is already under construction, as well as a link to the entire Vista Canyon project, which is set to include 1,100 housing units, 646,000 square feet of office space, 164,000 square feet of commercial and retail space and a 200-room hotel.

Architectural designs for the new Vista Canyon Bus Transfer Station that is expected to serve the new Vista Canyon Development currently in construction phase were presented at the groundbreaking ceremony for the, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Gilbert Bernal/The Signal

Vista Canyon is designed to be a car-optional community that, with the help of the station, encourages alternative methods of transportation in order to reduce carbon emissions.

“Every time I come to Santa Clarita, I’m so impressed by the quality of the development that you bring to your residents,” said Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian, a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member.

Many Santa Clarita residents understand the challenges of commuting to jobs and recreation in Los Angeles, which, Najarian added, is what makes this project so important.

Cameron Smyth, Mayor for the City of Santa Clarita leads a groundbreaking ceremony for the Vista Canyon Bus Transfer Station that is expected to serve the new Vista Canyon Development currently in construction phase, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Gilbert Bernal/The Signal

“I fully support the efforts of Santa Clarita and any city that combines transit availability with new housing, retail and commercial developments,” he said. “This is really an effective strategy to make urban planning, or in this case, suburban planning, far more sustainable and equitable.”

Back in 2013, the city applied for Metro’s Call for Projects grant, in which the Vista Canyon transit project came in No. 1 out of approximately three dozen projects that were all vying for funds, according to Najarian.

“This serves as a strong indication of the high importance that Metro placed on the need for better transit services for the Santa Clarita Valley,” he said.

Aja Najarian Metro Board Director, Jim Backer JBS Development President, Laurene Weste Council Member, Cameron Smyth, Mayor for the City of Santa Clarita, Stephanie English, Senior Field Supervisor with the Los Angeles County, Bob Kellar Council Member, Marsha McLean, Council Member, (left to right) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Vista Canyon Bus Transfer Station that is expected to serve the new Vista Canyon Development currently in construction phase, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Gilbert Bernal/The Signal

The groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of construction for the new station, which will serve as the transit hub, connecting the east side of the SCV to Los Angeles and beyond.

Many city, county and state officials were in attendance to show their support for the project, including Kris Hough, Santa Clarita district representative for state Sen. Scott Wilk.

“I’m here on behalf of state Sen. Scott Wilk, who’s always proud of this city, and the City Council for putting this community first all the time in innovative projects like this,” she said.

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