By City Manager Ken Striplin
The holiday season is in full swing, filling Santa Clarita with festive cheer. It’s the perfect time to embrace traditions, gather with loved ones and travel around the City to shop, celebrate and visit friends and family. During this busy season, safe and well-maintained roads become even more valuable, ensuring smooth and secure journeys. Here in Santa Clarita, keeping our streets in top condition is a priority, and our Street Maintenance teams are dedicated to making that happen every day. These hardworking individuals devote countless hours to keeping our roads safe and functional, and they deserve our respect and support—especially when it comes to their own safety on the job.
Our Streets teams handle everything from pothole and sidewalk repairs to traffic markings, weed control and even emergency response when the need arises. Their job is physically demanding and often places them just feet away from moving traffic, which can make their work risky on a daily basis. This holiday season, let’s make sure these workers can do their jobs safely by committing to driving responsibly and staying alert when passing through work zones.
One of the biggest dangers that our streets crews face is speeding vehicles. When drivers ignore posted speed limits or fail to slow down in designated work areas, it puts our road workers at serious risk. Speed limits in work zones are often reduced to provide a buffer zone, giving both drivers and workers that extra bit of safety. Slowing down near these zones not only makes it safer for the workers but also gives you, as a driver, more time to react to any sudden changes. Driving distraction-free is essential, especially when driving through or near work zones. Common distractions like texting, adjusting the radio or even eating can be hazardous – just one second of inattention can have serious consequences. By staying fully present behind the wheel, you’re helping to keep everyone – not just our streets workers – safe on the road.
Work zones are usually marked by clear signage and signals, but each zone may look different. Sometimes you’ll see flashing lights, cones or barrels, and other times there may be flaggers directing traffic. It’s important to always pay attention to these signs and follow any instructions – they’re there to guide traffic safely around the work area.
Lastly, the upcoming rainy season brings its own set of challenges. Slick roads, fallen branches and new potholes can make driving trickier than usual, so let’s all stay vigilant and patient when navigating these areas. Reducing speed, increasing your following distance and giving maintenance crews plenty of space can go a long way toward keeping everyone safe during wet weather.
It’s important to remember that these workers have families too – families who want them home safe to share in the holiday cheer. Our Street Maintenance crew are sons, parents, siblings and friends who look forward to celebrating the season with their loved ones, just like all of us. This winter, let’s all contribute to a safer, stronger community by committing to a season of cautious, distraction-free driving. Happy holidays!
Ken Striplin is the City Manager for the City of Santa Clarita and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
