Paul Benavidez, representing the Lions Club, presented samples of proposed fruit label murals to be painted on building walls around town.

Caltrans District 7 Deputy District Director Ali F. Zaghari gave a presentation on the proposed changes to Highway 126 at Tuesday's Fillmore City Council meeting. The SR-126 Safety Improvement Project also brought many Fillmore residents to the council chamber to speak during Public Comments.

The proposed project will begins at Hallock Drive in Santa Paula east to E Street in Fillmore. Zaghari informed the Council that Caltrans initiated an in-depth safety investigation and study in 2009 after a series of cross-median collisions between 2007-2009. In 2010 an interim project was proposed and completed in 2012 that included the installation of rumble strips and speed feedback signs. Data collected and completed in 2015 showed a reduction in general accident rate but Zaghari explained "rumble strips are the answer." the main problem is the speed of traffic. In 2009 the speed limit was reduced to 55 mph, but the majority of traffic is between 65-70 mph.

What Caltrans is proposing are a number of changes that include a concrete median barrier or a raised median island with visual markers. The change proposal that received the greatest push back was a set of four roundabouts spaced 1.5 miles apart. Their proposed placement going west starting at Fillmore would be Old Telegraph Road, then west of Spalding Drive, the third would be Toland Road and the last location would be east of Hobson Road.

Another change option to the highway includes two undercrossings which would be located near Old Village Road and near Hall/Sycamore Road, and a third change proposed would be left turn lanes at Orcuit Road, Willard Road, Hall/Sycamore Road and Atmore Road.

Zaghari showed the Council a video of a turnabout on State Highway 138 in Palmdale and said the goal is to slow the traffic down saying the "intention is traffic calming." Council Member Douglas Tucker asked if it would slow traffic through town to a standstill and how many accidents had taken place during a 12 month period at the video location.

Mayor Diane McCall asked if the volume of traffic entering the highway from north and south had been taken into consideration since what she saw on the video was nothing like the traffic on Hwy 126.

Zaghari explained that the intent was to slow traffic and that would "hopefully lower accidents....the major intent is to save lives."

McCall asked Zaghari how open Caltrans was to changes. Zaghari responded, "We're waiting for the comments to come in.....(but) we have to do something. There may be some slowdown, but it will save lives." March 4, 2016 is the end date for public comments.

Council Member Manual Minjares questioned how the emergency vehicles would be affected. Interim Fire Chief Bill Herrera responded, "It will certainly slow us down...going to the hospital in Santa Paula, it would slow us down. If the goal is to slow traffic it will slow everybody. But saving lives is important also." Herrera agreed with Tucker that the change could back up traffic in Fillmore.

Police Chief Dave Wareham stated, "Response times will go up....we'll have to go around the traffic.” Wareham was also concerned with the problems of speed on the highway, "We're talking about speed issues on the 126, if has become a freeway not a highway."

Council Member Carrie Broggie spoke of her concern regarding the huge number of drivers using the highway stating, "Sometimes it's bumper to bumper" and questioned the start and stop times roundabouts would create. She asked Zaghari for a more accurate count of traffic during busy hours.

Zaghari assured the Council that traffic would not go below 45 mph, adding that now it's close to 70 mph and during peek hours east to west traffic is highest.

Council Member Rick Neal commented that the train slows traffic down when it crosses the highway, but questioned if drivers would change their route to Sycamore Road or South Mountain, impacting those two alternate routes. Zaghari responded that Caltrans would widen their scope to include those two alternatives.

Neal then suggested improving Highway 118 to ease the traffic on Hwy 126. He questioned if it is more vehicles or more speed that cause accidents. Zaghari responded that they are targeting the speed problem.

Tucker asked Zaghari to get more input from Fillmore staff and the unintended consequences implying that often trying to solve a problem, may create more problems.

Minjares asked if the option of having an overpass instead of a turnabout had been considered. Zaghari answered, "We have not considered that because we're addressing the speed....I don't think that would be a viable option." Minjares than asked about a concrete barrier option. "We looked into raised islands," Zarghari stated. Minjares responded, "Islands don't slow people down."

McCall finished the discussion saying it has become a freeway and traffic has gone way up in recent years. She added that the highway between Fillmore and the Los Angeles County Line is far more deadly and asked Zaghari if Caltrans is considering changes to the highway going east of Fillmore. Zaghari answered that they are considering improving it but that if will not be done until 2040.

During comments on the Caltrans presentation many residents came forward to give their opinion on the proposed changes, especially the turnabouts, with one person asking Zaghari if the turnabouts were one lane or two and what would happen if a truck turned over. The questioning continued asking if he has ever driven on a large multiple lane turnabout, saying the traffic slows to about 15 mph and the damage to vehicles increases.

Davin Cass commented that Californians do not know how to used turnabouts and that traffic will come to a complete halt. Others also complained stating Californians do not know how to maneuver turnabouts.

Tim Holgrim thanked the Council for their concern on the issue and he also does not want the turnabouts saying, "You will see traffic bumper to bumper....there will be unintended consequences....I hope the Council strongly opposes the turnabouts."

Ray Brown said he would like to see the area extended to include Mountain View. He said he would not be in favor of the turnabouts because of the large trucks with trailers.

Ron Smith suggested using radar signs that take pictures with citations given to those who speed. "Roundabouts aren't going to work," Smith stated.

None of the Council Members liked the idea of roundabouts and all agreed that the biggest problem for Fillmore regarding the highway is both the east and west entries to town.

McCall ended the comments telling Zaghari, "We are an island out here in Fillmore, we look forward to working with you" and thanked him for Caltrans consideration.

During Public Comments Paul Benavidez representing the Lions Club presented samples of proposed fruit label murals to be painted on building walls around town. One proposed location is the packing house and another is a building on Sespe and Central. There was also talk of painting murals on the utility boxes, such as those in Ventura, and the planting of a succulent plant called Sticks on Fire, in front of business parkways on Hwy 126.

City Engineer Roxanne C. Hughes asked the Council to approve four new neighborhood track maps consisting of 166 homes. The tracks include a 9.53 acre park and a 27.4 acre nature park. Many of the roads have already been completed with some being gated private roads that the new home owners association will maintain.