The William S Union Hart High School District is working alongside Los Angeles County and the Department of Public Works to improve driving conditions to and from Castaic High School.
Since Castaic High School opened in 2019, nearby residents have expressed their concerns about driving conditions on Sloan Canyon Road due to the street being on a steep hill, making it easy to exceed 70 mph, according to officials.
Since Sloan Canyon Road, which was once a dirt road, became paved, multiple residents of Castaic have turned to social media sharing their concerns of speed racing and overall traffic safety.
Part of the road is about a 13 percent downward grade, nearly twice as steep as the Grapevine, and is about a mile long, according to officials.
Currently, officials with the Hart District are working alongside L.A. County and Public Works to come up with a solution to the speeding problem on Sloan Canyon Road, said Dave Caldwell, spokesperson for the Hart District.
“The County has not accepted ownership of the road yet,” said Stephanie English, field deputy for L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Until the County has ownership of the road they are not able to install any types of traffic regulations, according to officials.
“We are looking into installing any traffic safety measures on parts of the road we already own,” English said.
Back in March, the County installed a stop sign at Sloan Canyon Road and Parker Road, making it possible for drivers to turn onto the road leading to the high school, especially when traffic is heavy in the morning or afternoon.
However, residents of the Bravo/Encore Track, a neighborhood near the high school, feel that more than one stop sign will be needed to protect residents of the neighborhood and Sloan Canyon drivers.
Many residents are hoping the County will either install a stop sign or traffic signal on Sloan Canyon Road and at Quail Valley Road to allow travelers easier access to and from the neighborhood when school is in session. It would also allow for a safer place for families to cross the street to Del Valle Park and a preschool.
“There have been countless times where I am trying to cross the street with my kids and end up having to run across because a car is flying up the hill outside of our view from the street,” said Christa Lien, a Castaic resident.
Others feel that with any kind of crosswalk someone will be hurt.
“Leaving our once quiet neighborhood has become a nightmare in the morning,” said Tony Burke, a longtime resident of Castaic. “I was watching these kids come barreling down this road so fast, I believe somebody’s going to get seriously injured if this keeps up.”
In addition to making it safer to turn in to or out of a neighborhood, residents want solutions to prevent drivers from speeding down Sloan Canyon Road, which is also partially a residential street.
“Install speed bumps going up and down Sloan Canyon,” Carlos Avalos, a Castaic resident recommended.
Other Castaic residents agree with Avalos’ idea and also proposed adding a stop sign on Sloan Canyon Road near the descent and also hope law enforcement will conduct speed enforcements throughout the year.
“I also agree with speed bumps. The grade of the hill up to the high school is big and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that people will be speeding even if they don’t intentionally try to,” Lien said. “Let’s keep everyone safe.”
Back in August, Kayla Payan 17, from Castaic, was the most recent individual to be killed on Sloan Canyon Road, resulting in Castaic residents again going to social media asking for something to be done to prevent drivers from speeding.
While speed bumps, traffic signals and stop signs are all just suggestions, the Hart District, L.A. County and Public Works are doing what they can to bring a solution to the problem, but have not yet decided on what that solution will be.
“We have meetings scheduled with Kathryn Barger’s office and with the Department of Public Works to work out a solution for traffic safety,” Caldwell said.
Although there is no date of when a decision will be made to determine what is going to be done, Caldwell wants it to be sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, when deputies have the ability, they enforce traffic in the area doing what they can to keep drivers safe, according to Natalie Arriaga, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
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