Looks like they agonized over the decision for awhile and decided to err (properly) on the side of pedestrian safety over motorist convenience:
The city will narrow sections of Valencia Boulevard and Magic Mountain Parkway to one lane in each direction during this year’s Fourth of July fireworks show, city officials announced today.
City spokeswoman Gail Ortiz would not comment on whether the decision to reduce traffic on the two streets – which are popular viewing areas with fireworks show spectators – is due to the car crash last year on Valencia Boulevard that killed a woman.
Here’s how it will work:
Valencia Boulevard between McBean Parkway and Citrus Avenue will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between 7:30 p.m. until about 9:45 p.m.
Magic Mountain Parkway between McBean Parkway and Citrus Avenue will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between 7:30 p.m. and about 9:45 p.m.
Fireworks watchers will not be allowed to sit or stand in any of the closed lanes, Ortiz noted.
As usual, McBean Parkway will be completely closed between Valencia Boulevard and Magic Mountain Parkway from 7 p.m. until about 9:45 p.m. The area is closed annually due to possible falling debris from the fireworks.
Traffic will probably be a nightmare, but the good news is that Valencia Town Center is in a very ped-friendly part of town, with multiple ingress/egress points, paseo bridges, and the nearby South Fork trail. An individual or family who walks or bikes to the site could avoid the parking headache and escape the post-fireworks rush. That’s not an option for everyone, of course.
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The law of unintended consequence is always in effect. Constraining traffic flow is rarely a means for improving safety. How about folks watching from Copperhill?
You can see it from Copperhill? I was thinking somewhere up near Californian Institute of the Arts.
Good view from the upper parking lot at COC and no crowds….
Does security allow you to be there?
C’mon. We all know the vast majority of the crowds are at or around the mall. I do not think anyone expects the city to keep everyone safe at all times. Based upon crowd projections and attendance at prior events, a plan should be formed. The whole foods lot has always been jammed with people. They should have closed the street or brought it down to 1 lane years ago. If we found 1000 people gathering to watch the fireworks at Granary Square, I would expect the city to plan for this as well.
I will be very curious to see if anyone still sits on the curb this year, even with the traffic controls in place.
One would think huh… But some folks expect government to protect people from their own stupidity. How far does a person have to be in the road before government isn’t responsible anymore?
Should we put up guard rails on all sidewalks?
Make people wear helmets or other safety gear if they want to take a walk on our sidewalks? When will enough be enough?
Correct. This will just create more traffic on other streets where people are standing. Then when someone gets hit or killed again, we can all debate how wrong it was for SCV to do this.
BTW, Melissa Brown’s preliminary hearing is on August 16 (I believe). Let’s not forget about that. Surprised no one was here to report it.
Incorrect! Everyone knows frustrated drivers drive safer.*
*sarcasm
Glad I’m going to hang with friends in Lancaster….
Oh, wait, no, that isn’t a win either.
BTW, I’d like to invite everyone out to the Liberty Grand Prix this weekend at Willow Springs Raceway in Fontana. Saturday night we’ll be having fireworks, street-legal drag racing, and a running of the MotoIQ.com Pacific Tuner Car Championship… Sunday is a day full of racing and you can hear me announce the main event starting Sunday at 12:30(ish).
Details, discounts, etc @ http://www.redlinetrackevents.com/?p=782
Correction, not Fontana… Rosamond. Last event was in Fontana… Wow, my mind is switched off right now….
Phew! You had me worried. Rosamond also has “The Cat House” big cat breeding center. I hope the fireworks don’t cause cougars to go hunting for you
I drive past it often. Thankfully, haven’t had any encounters with cougars since college. But that was fun.
My wife will be joining me, and she’s the ultimate cougar repellant.
SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!
Well it sounds as though I’m either going to be trapped at home or trapped away from home. I’m sure this will solve ALL the safety issues (that’s sarcasm)
*thumbs up
I’m sure the City will receive a lot of complaints this year that traffic around the mall was terrible because they only have one lane open on both Valencia and Magic Mountain.