General (10)
Susana Barrios
From:Myra Deister <myra.deister@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, July 27, 2026 5:41 PM
To:Rudy Emami; Rafael Cobian; Cory Wilkerson; Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Dudek Study Comments
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I appreciate the significant effort that has gone into preparing the Draft Anaheim Wildfire Evacuation
Study. The report provides an important framework for evaluating wildfire risk and evacuation planning in
Anaheim Hills. However, I believe one critical existing condition must be more fully incorporated into the
evacuation analysis.
The study recognizes that evacuation modeling must accurately reflect real-world roadway conditions to
provide meaningful results. Unfortunately, the existing traffic conditions in Anaheim Hills are already
substantially impacted by regional congestion that is unrelated to neighborhood travel.
On weekdays, generally between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., many residential streets throughout Anaheim
Hills experience heavy cut-through traffic from motorists attempting to avoid congestion on both the SR-
55 and eastbound SR-91 freeways. During these hours, neighborhood collectors and arterial streets
often function as alternative regional travel routes rather than serving primarily local residents. This
existing congestion is not an occasional event, it is a predictable, recurring condition that significantly
reduces available roadway capacity before any emergency occurs.
Because wildfires are not scheduled events, a major fire could easily occur during these afternoon peak
periods. If an evacuation order were issued under these conditions, residents would be forced to
evacuate using a roadway network that is already operating under congested conditions due to regional
traffic. Any evacuation analysis that assumes normal background traffic may underestimate evacuation
times, overestimate roadway capacity, and fail to accurately represent emergency vehicle access.
I respectfully request that the City ensure the final study:
Uses observed weekday afternoon traffic volumes, including regional cut-through traffic
associated with congestion on SR-55 and SR-91, as baseline conditions for evacuation modeling.
Evaluates evacuation performance during worst-case scenarios in which wildfire conditions
coincide with peak commuter traffic.
Specifically analyzes the effects of recurring congestion on Serrano Avenue, Weir Canyon Road,
Cannon Street, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and other similarly impacted corridors to determine how
existing traffic conditions affect evacuation times and emergency access.
Identifies roadway segments and intersections where existing congestion significantly degrades
evacuation performance and emergency response.
Evaluates the cumulative effect of future residential and commercial development together with
existing traffic conditions rather than evaluating projects in isolation.
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Clearly documents all assumptions used in the evacuation model, including background traffic
volumes, roadway capacities, traffic control measures, and emergency response operations, so
that residents can understand how evacuation times were calculated.
Identifies specific operational and infrastructure improvements necessary to maintain
acceptable evacuation performance under both current and future conditions.
In addition, I respectfully request that the City validate its traffic modeling using observed traffic data
rather than relying solely on standard traffic counts or assumed travel patterns. The evacuation model
should be calibrated and validated using real-world traffic information, such as GPS-based travel time
data (e.g., INRIX or StreetLight), Caltrans traffic performance data, and field observations collected
during weekday afternoon peak periods. This validation should demonstrate that the model accurately
reflects the recurring diversion of motorists from SR-55 and SR-91 onto Anaheim Hills streets and
reproduces actual congestion levels experienced by residents. Without this validation, there is a risk that
evacuation times and roadway capacities will be underestimated, resulting in an overly optimistic
assessment of evacuation performance.
The report correctly recognizes that the purpose of this study is not only to improve emergency planning
but also to provide a scientifically defensible basis for evaluating future development in Anaheim Hills.
For that reason, it is essential that the baseline conditions reflect the transportation system as residents
actually experience it not an uncongested roadway network that exists only outside of peak travel
periods.
Many Anaheim Hills residents continue to remember the evacuation challenges during the 2017 Canyon
II Fire. Since that event, regional traffic congestion has become increasingly severe, particularly as
motorists divert from SR-55 and SR-91 onto local streets. Existing neighborhood congestion should
therefore be treated as a critical component of the City's evacuation planning because it directly affects
public safety, evacuation times, and emergency responder access.
I respectfully request that these existing traffic conditions be fully evaluated and incorporated into the
final Wildfire Evacuation Study before it is adopted. Doing so will result in a more accurate, transparent,
and defensible assessment and better protect the residents of Anaheim Hills.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued commitment to the safety of our community.
Sincerely,
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Sincerely,
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