Just a few days after Caltrans and Metro confirmed their plans to hold community meetings to get input on how Highway 14 could be improved, transportation officials pumped the brakes last week, leading to consternation from city and county officials upset by the delay.
City Councilwoman Marsha McLean, who represents the city with respect to multiple regional transportation groups, issued a statement Friday after learning the meetings, which were scheduled for last week, were postponed indefinitely.
“I worry that the postponement of these public scoping meetings will only delay these much-needed improvements, causing an even greater risk and continued travel delays for those traveling daily along (State Route) 14. It is imperative that Caltrans and Metro immediately reschedule these scoping meetings to be held as soon as possible,” McLean said in the statement, echoing concerns she shared on the dais at the City Council meeting earlier in the week.
During the council meeting, she questioned whether plans would be reduced in the delays.
She also expressed frustration that the sessions were canceled less than a week after 40,000 mailers were sent out announcing them.
Marc Bischoff, a public information officer with Caltrans, and Patrick Chandler, a PIO for Metro, the two lead agencies on this project, issued a statement last week announcing the delay.
Neither gave a reason nor were able to offer any specifics as to the reason behind the delay or when the meetings would be rescheduled.
“Caltrans and Metro are refining our proposed project alternatives to make it a successful scoping period. We will reschedule the project scoping meetings as soon as possible,” according to an email from Bischoff.
“The purpose of this public scoping is to listen to and capture input and feedback from public and stakeholders regarding potential social, economic and environmental issues related to the project,” Chandler wrote in an email last week. “Public scoping is an important step in the preparation of the draft environmental document. Metro and Caltrans look forward to public input and feedback.”
The idea is to enhance safety along the eastside Santa Clarita Valley state route, which connects Interstate 5 to Highway 138, also known as Pearblossom Highway.
One of the complaints from city and county officials, including 5th District L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, is that from a safety standpoint, the improvements are already long overdue.
“There are 12 main-line segments and 17 ramp locations along the corridor that have higher than statewide average collision rates,” according to an email from Chandler.
In response to a request for those rates along the Highway 14 corridor, Bischoff emailed a link to the statewide traffic census website: dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/census.
Chandler also indicated rear-end fender-benders and sideswipe collisions make up 75% of collisions along the Highway 14 corridor.
To learn more about this project, visit Metro.net/Projects/14Safety.
The city also shared information on how residents can contact project officials regarding the postponement of the scoping meetings by calling 213-922-4222 or emailing [email protected].
