Well, there they are in all their glory! The traffic signals installed at Olinda Village over the course of the last few months are complete and in working order as of Thursday. The views above were taken on Friday morning.
Note the temporary message boards on both sides, PLUS flashing warning lights, WITH the eastbound ones having text boards looking just like those Amber Alert signs you see on the freeway. Except this is little ol' two-lane Carbon Canyon Road, so they look even more disproportionate to their environment.
So much for retaining the rural character of Carbon Canyon! All we need now are some more houses and
. . . oops, a few hundred of those are coming someday, too! Plus, we can look forward to the day when more signals are added on the Chino Hills side at Canon Lane and Canyon Hills Road. Why, it won't be too much longer before Carbon Canyon looks nearly identical to the sprawl around it! All we'd need is a Starbucks and a 7-11 and some billboards and the extreme makeover of the Canyon would be complete.
But, seriously folks, it will remain to be seen whether there is any significant slowdown during busy commuter hours or whether there will be an uptick in accidents as a result of the signals.
Now, if they could just find some money to repave the Orange County side of the highway.
13 comments:
Let's hope the lights improve the traffic patterns. Let's hope the lights offer a solution to what is, with unanimous agreement, the only thing in the Canyon that is UGLY! (Traffic)
I don't see how this could possibly not affect traffic in the canyon. On Thursday night at 6 p.m., I was told, the traffic was backed up all the way from Valencia. I came through a little before 7 and it was backed up from santa fe (usually there's no backup that time of night). I also noticed as I turned into Olinda Village that the traffic flowed freely after the signal. I wonder what's going to happen the first time the signal goes out and starts flashing red, forcing everyone to stop at the intersection. I guess we'll be backed up to the freeway. I know, I know, I may be passing judgment prematurely, but I believe that this has the potential to cause major problems for everybody who drives the canyon. Oh, and how about those new flashing signs that give that same warm feeling you get when passing through an immigration checkpoint, not to mention the multiple street lights that absolutely ruin the ambience. Whose idea was this?
Hello Chino Hills Professionals and Canyon Lover, I think I've probably said (more than?) enough on this topic so that it is abundantly clear what my opinion is. The fact is: the only benefit are to those in Olinda Village. For overall traffic, the ugly aspect that CH Professionals refers to, there is no solution. As I've said, I understand the frustrations the Olinda Village folks who've wanted a signal have experienced, but in Sleepy Hollow we can't have signals. It's just not physically possible, so we have to live with that same frustration. And, there will be more, if Chino Hills can follow through with their plans for two signals on their side. Good for the folks in those immediate neighborhood--no effect on overall traffic in the Canyon.
Paul, I live in Olinda Village, and believe me, it's no benefit to me. The worst of it will be going west to east because of the blind hill right before the signal, where there's a natural slowdown anyway, and that's the way I come home from work. I know a lot of people in the village may have been in favor of putting in a signal, but it seems to me that the folks in Hollydale and the kids from there having to cross to go to the elementary school may have been the deciding factor. That said, what's done is done, and I could go on forever about it, but I'll give it a rest. It just makes me sad and frustrated. Once again, for the benefit of a few, thousands are impacted. (An easy solution to turning left out of Hollydale against traffic would have been simply to turn right instead, turn into Olinda Village and turn right from there. Not that big a deal.)
The new lights in the Canyon have created a nightmare for those who drive through the Canyon during traffic hours. It now takes twice the time to get through. How ever thought the lights were a good idea was not thinking clearly.
Hello Canyon Lover (again) and Anonymous, I was not aware of who the prime movers were for the lights, but, as Canyon Lover and Anonymous indicate, it may already be obvious that any traffic improvements will be one-sides (that is, side traffic coming from Olinda Village, including Hollydale Mobile Home Estates.) I don't come through in the morning until after 8:30 and NEVER come through in the late afternoon and early evening anyway, so I can't speak for those periods. At any rate, let's see how matters shake out over the coming weeks and months! Thanks for the comments, guys!
What a ridiculous idea! It already took long enough to get through the Canyon and now it takes almost three times as long! I used to enjoy driving through the Canyon and used to think, "I need to be the passenger in the car and drive through here so I can really see everything"....Watch what you wish for....I am now at a dead stop and go for over an hour and can look around without a problem! Psh, whomever's idea this was is a complete moron. The canyon is a BEAUTIFUL place with a wonderful and colorful history, and unfortunately the only colors now are bright flashing yellows, with ugly reds and greens!
traffic signal not going to impact traffic?? yeah right. It now take an extra 20 minutes to get through the cayon. Anything being done to fix this?
Hi Anonymous and Mark, obviously the introduction of this traffic signal has hit a chord! You and others might try sending a little Valentine's Day message to the Brea City Council, but this project has been years in the making and cost several hundred thousand dollars. The only suggestion I have is to recommend that the timing be adjusted so that signal changes for those entering Carbon Canyon Road require longer wait times. This would at least allow the traffic on Route 142 to move a little faster. I can't imagine the city is going to like that suggestion, though. A few more comments and I'll put together a post just on that! Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.
That's exactly what folks should do, Paul. Contact the Brea City Council. They're well aware of the problem, and the more comments they get, the more likely we are to be taken seriously. Caltrans controls the light, but the council is the best way to get your thougts across. So spread the word everybody! The Sleepy Hollow/Chino Hills side needs to chime in, too. By the way, it took me 25 minutes to go less than two miles last night AFTER 7 p.m., pretty well past rush hour. Reminds me of the housing bubble. Did no one see this coming?
congratulations to the responsible special interest in congesting the canyon, increasing everyones commute time, fuel use, and for those of us who live here, the resultant exhaust and trash. By the way, can anyone explain the red light for through traffic at 3:00 am, no cross traffic present.
I would like to add my two cents to this issue. I have been going through the Canyon for two and a half years now and have always let commuters entering 142 in whenever safe. I don't know what the people in the Olinda Village said to get this traffic light installed, but I am sure that it's not helping them at all now. I am a prime candidate for hitting traffic going and leaving work in the canyon and before what use to be maybe a 30 minute wait in the canyon has increased to an hour. I really don't appreciate the traffic and what it's done to my fuel usage constantly stopping and going on the big hill. If there is a petition to "improve" the way the traffic light performs please let me know, within my company there are quiet a few people that enter this void of a canyon now that the light is setup , and we would definately like to see a change.
A response from Brea's traffic engineer:
"Since Carbon Canyon is a State highway, the signal is operated and maintained by Caltrans. As such, Caltrans controls the timing.
City staff is working with Caltrans to refine the signal timing to minimize the delay.
The Caltrans contact information is (949) 724-2000 or http://www.dot.ca.gov/pioform.html." ... So call with your complaints and don't let up! And it would only help to still include Brea's City Council on that. Please pass this along to anyone you know who drives through or cares about our canyon.
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