You may have noticed that traffic seems a little bit lighter on Mission Gorge Road and Mast Boulevard lately, and the opening of the through Santee seems like an obvious reason.
But Santee Development Director , under whose department is Engineering and Traffic Control, said it may be too soon to make that judgment just yet.
“We’re looking at the traffic closely every day and evening, but it’s just too soon to make that decision, for a couple of reasons. Yes, it does look as though the traffic is lighter, but this past week or so has been spring break, and that fact may have influenced what we’re seeing now. There just aren’t that many cars on the roads,” Orso-Delgado said.
“We’re in the process of a longer period of observing and counting traffic. We’re going to give it a month, to see if it still seems like traffic is lighter once the normal numbers of cars place the usual demand on the roads,” he said.
Once that month-long period is over, it is likely to cause changes in the cycles of traffic lights on surface streets, because the will change traffic patterns.
With the expansion opening, the City is adjusting different traffic controls and patterns in Santee. wrote that during the next six months the City will be "monkeying with the , sensors and systems," which might mean slower or faster lights than usual.
Inevitably, the freeway will take a load off some surface streets, particularly Mission Gorge and Mast. That only stands to reason since there are now several more ways to gain quick access to another route to travel.
"The freeway’s doing what we thought it would, but let’s be sure, before we start changing things that might not need to be changed. Right now, it’s , but we’ll soon have the actual numbers to prove it,” said Orso-Delgado.
"We encourage citizens to report what they like or don't like as we adjust, citizens are our eyes and ears," wrote Mayor Voepel.
You can make a report by emailing the City's Development Services Dept., or calling 619-258-4100 ex. 168.
