ACH Update: Green Lane Signal Advances, City Pursues Ownership of ACH

It has been a little over a year since my last update, and there have been several concrete developments in the effort to improve Angeles Crest Highway!

The Green Lane traffic signal has passed an important engineering milestone. In November 2025, the City hired Willdan Engineering to prepare the traffic-signal warrant study required for the proposed signal at Green Lane. The completed study concluded that a traffic signal is warranted at the intersection. The City then submitted the study to Caltrans for its review and concurrence.

The City has also begun the process of potentially taking ownership of the portion of Angeles Crest Highway within La Cañada Flintridge. On November 6, 2025, the City Council voted 5-0 to initiate the relinquishment process for the portion of ACH from the I-210 ramps to Gould Mesa.  Caltrans subsequently informed the City that it would begin preparing a Relinquishment Assessment Report, which will evaluate the feasibility of transferring the roadway to the City. At the March 3, 2026, Council meeting, City staff reported that Caltrans had not provided a completion date for that report.

Taking ownership would be a lengthy process and has not been decided. The City can choose not to proceed later. But City ownership would potentially give La Cañada Flintridge much greater control over future operations and improvements to this section of ACH. The relinquishment process described publicly by the City includes additional Caltrans studies, state legislation, infrastructure assessments, negotiations over costs and funding, and ultimately approval by the California Transportation Commission.

The broader corridor improvements also remain part of the City’s planning discussion. The City’s current draft Circulation Element expressly states that the City is working with Caltrans to “enhance safety and manage speeds” on ACH from the I-210 ramps to the city limits and identifies bike lanes and sidewalks as improvements under consideration. The draft also acknowledges the ongoing discussions with Caltrans concerning possible future relinquishment of portions of SR-2.

The City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the General Plan updates, including the Circulation Element, on October 6, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. I’ll continue posting updates as these processes move forward. Thank you all for your support!