So my recent post and the Signal story about the addition of a bike lane on Decoro (and the requisite removal of a vehicle lane) have generated quite the response here on SCVTalk. Most people seem to dissapprove of the change, including, perhaps, a City Councilwoman, at least according to this SCVTalk reader, who posted the following in the comments section:
Jeff,
Ive heard from sources that they’re going to change Decoro back to 2 lanes each way because of handful of complaints and that Councilmember Ender demanded it to go back to the way it was. I hope that doesnt mean the bike lanes go away. I dont know if you talk to the City at all but i hope bicyclist advocates will tell the city to keep the one lane and bike lane.
Julie Williams
Wow, that’s quite the accusation, but at this time, it’s completely unfounded. I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility, but I don’t think anyone, even a city councilmember, can just “demand” something like that. For one, the Decoro bike lane is part of the City’s Non Motorized Traffic Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in 2008 or 2007 I believe.
In other words, this lane was approved by our elected representatives and was available for the public to review and debate. You can see the slide shows right here; it clearly shows a proposed bike lane on Decoro.
In any event, I asked the city about the reader’s accusation (specifically with regards to that Councilperson and in general), and here was the response from the PIO office:
The City of Santa Clarita recently made changes to Decoro Drive, including the addition of bike lanes in both direction between McBean Parkway and Seco Canyon Road, as well as adding right and left turn lanes and reducing through traffic lanes from four to two lanes. The street also received a new asphalt overlay and the traffic signal synchronization will be completed within the week.
Recently, the City also added bike lanes to Rockwell Canyon Road and to Tournament Road. The addition of more bike lanes in our City helps our community more bicycle friendly, as well as encouraging alternate modes of transportation.
Recent changes on Decoro Drive have met with a variety of responses from area residents to the City. Some have expressed concern and dislike with the changes, while others have applauded the changes.
At this time the City is listening to everyone’s thoughts on the matter and these will all be taken into consideration for any future changes. If you would like to express your thoughts regarding the recent Decoro Drive roadway changes, please email the City Traffic Engineer, Andrew Yi at ayi@santa-clarita.com.
The classic non answer, answer right? Well it sounds to me like the city is hedging, remaining open to changing Decoro from its modern, mixed-use configuration into an obsolete configuration.
Whatever the case, it’s safe to say some aren’t happy about the lane. It will be interesting to see if anyone speaks about it (or the Rockwell lane) once the City Council returns from recess.
In the meantime, I decided to head out North Valencia way to see for myself what this fancy new bike lane was all about. Here’s what I found:
As you can see, the lane is quite nice, and that safety buffer is practically a luxurious add on. I felt nearly carefree as I rode up Decoro, a good 10-12 feet between me and the cars. Speaking of the cars, I found no evidence that the lane was too narrow for a minivan. And overall, the cars seemed to moving at a slower speed, which is good not only for cyclists and pedestrians, but motorists too.
As I said in the video, you make up your own mind. But I feel confident in saying that this lane will encourage cycling and will make North Valencia a much more desirable place to live.