Sierra Highway Sidewalks
Location
Sierra Highway between Sarabande Lane and Hillfield Lane
City or County Responsible for Project
City of Santa Clarita
Category
Complete Streets Projects
Author
Shannon Pickett
Organization
City of Santa Clarita, Capital Projects Division
Address
23920 Valencia Blvd., Suite 300 Santa Clarita, CA 91355-2196
Phone
661-255-4968
Supporting Documentation
Project Description
Ensuring safe paths of travel along City sidewalks and enhancing pedestrian safety are goals of the City of Santa Clarita (City) 2025 strategic plan and Local Roadway Safety Plan. The Sierra Highway Sidewalks project supports those safety goals by constructing an uninterrupted path of travel between the Canyon Country Community Center and Skyline Ranch development.
The path of travel along Sierra Highway was wildly different from one property to the next. Pedestrians transitioned between sidewalks, planters, gravel, driveways, front yards and parking lots. Accessing transit, shopping, schools, and residences required pedestrians to maneuver through different elevations, grades, and surfaces between islands of sidewalk. Residents with shopping carts or strollers abandoned the path, walking in the street, competing for space with bicyclists and vehicles.
To create one continuous travel surface, the City constructed curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements along the east and west side of Sierra Highway between Sarabande Lane and Hillfield Lane. Approximately 1,000 linear feet of sidewalk were constructed on the east side of the roadway and 200 linear feet on the west side. New curb ramps were added at two existing intersections, and existing driveways were modified to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
During design, it became clear that 90 percent of the missing sidewalks were due to right-of-way (ROW) issues. The ROW “jogged” back and forth, creating a challenge to constructing a unified sidewalk along the roadway. Staff met with property owners and utility agencies to discuss the project’s scope and ROW limitations. Most property owners dedicated easements to their properties to construct the improvements; however, one holdout did not want to reduce much-needed parking for their apartment complex. Eventually the owner compromised, providing enough width for the ADA path of travel and granting a Right of Entry to construct the improvements.
City staff collaborated with property owners to finalize the sidewalk, driveway, and utility improvements that provide a regional benefit to the community. Other challenges were resolved through collaboration with utility agencies to remove six wooden poles and underground the necessary conduit before starting construction. Removing the poles significantly contributed to creating an unobstructed path of travel for residents.
Project savings were utilized for concrete rehabilitation to provide safer sidewalks along Sierra Highway in locations that did not meet current ADA requirements. Even the City’s Sidewalk Poetry Program, which stamps original poems into sidewalks throughout the City, was included.
This project was delivered on time and within budget. Timely coordination between utility agencies, property owners, and the City led to a successful street improvement and a safe path of travel along City sidewalks in a historically infrastructure-deficient neighborhood.
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