The La Cañada Flintridge Public Works and Traffic Commission will add traffic control on Angeles Crest Highway to a future agenda after reading and hearing public comments in a virtual meeting last week.
Several residents expressed concern over cars and motorcycles speeding down the highway — especially during the weekend — and claim to hear illegal races occurring on Angeles Crest Highway from Friday evening through Sunday.
Collisions from the alleged races have left debris in local yards, and traveling at such high speeds can endanger pedestrians and other drivers — notably when they are trying to turn out of residential streets and onto Angeles Crest Highway. Residents also complained that many of the vehicles speeding on the highway are modified with parts that make them much louder, causing unwanted noise pollution.
Patrick DeChellis, LCF director of public works, said that he sent the public comments to Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Capt. Todd Deeds and a representative from the station will join the next commission meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
“The sheriffs will be attending the February Public Works and Traffic Commission to discuss the efforts that they’ve implemented in terms of trying to control and minimize the racing and the speeding on Angeles Crest, especially on the weekends,” DeChellis told the Outlook Valley Sun on Wednesday.
According to DeChellis, sheriffs can enforce traffic rules and laws on Angeles Crest Highway, as well as the California Highway Patrol.
Residents suggested placing a traffic signal at one of the streets intersecting with the highway or a stop sign, but that would be a lengthy process because that would fall under the jurisdiction of Caltrans.
“Anything we do on Angeles Crest Highway, we must get Caltrans approval,” DeChellis said. “Any traffic signal requires a study, then Caltrans reviews it and then it must approve it. Then, we’d have to talk about funding.”
Commissioners asked DeChellis to have a Caltrans representative at a future meeting to follow up on discussion of the issue, but the public works director felt it was best to start the conversation with the sheriffs to get a better understanding of what they are doing to mitigate the problem.
POSSIBLE RAT POISON ON TRAILS
Another item of concern brought up by commission vice chair Kati Rubinyi was the placement of rat poison on the horse trail that runs north of Foothill Boulevard parallel to Crown Avenue.
Various residents commented about it on social media claiming that they have seen dead rats on the trail and that a dog also died because of the poison. There was also a report of a fox on a front lawn suffering for hours.
“If true, this is criminal activity,” said Rubinyi, who asked that this be placed on a future agenda.
The commissioners agreed to look further into the issue and place it on a future agenda. Staff will provide a report on the issue in a future meeting.
