SR 134

SR 134
Name	State Route 134
Length mi	(value varies by jurisdiction)
Established	(varies)
Maint	(state departments of transportation)
Direction a	West
Terminus a	(varies)
Direction b	East
Terminus b	(varies)
States	(varies)

SR 134 is a designation applied to multiple State Route corridors in different U.S. states and one international instance, commonly serving as arterial connectors between urban centers, suburbs, and regional highways. Segments bearing this numeric identifier include short urban freeways, rural two-lane collectors, and historic alignments that have evolved alongside interstates, U.S. Routes, and local thoroughfares. Many such corridors intersect major transportation nodes, rail lines, and historic districts, shaping commuter patterns and freight movement.

Route description

Corridors labeled with this state number generally function as links between major corridors such as Interstate 10, U.S. Route 101, Interstate 5, U.S. Route 66, and other numbered arterials, often beginning near suburban interchanges adjacent to municipalities like Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Paula, Ventura, and terminating near communities such as Burbank, Monrovia, Simi Valley, or rural townships. Typical cross-sections transition from four- to six-lane divided freeways in denser sections to two-lane undivided roadways through agricultural zones adjoining counties like Ventura County or Los Angeles County. Alignments commonly cross major rail corridors such as those used by Amtrak, Metrolink (California), and freight carriers including BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, and connect to regional transit hubs like Union Station (Los Angeles), Bob Hope Airport, or municipal bus terminals operated by agencies such as Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Ventura County Transportation Commission.

Vegetation, land use, and adjacent institutions along these corridors vary: university campuses like Caltech, medical centers like Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center, cultural institutions such as The Huntington Library, and recreational sites like Griffith Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area often sit within a few miles of such routes. Engineering features along these corridors include grade-separated interchanges near expressways like Golden State Freeway and tunnels or cut-and-cover sections where alignments traverse hilly terrain near the San Gabriel Mountains.

History

The numeric designation originated during statewide highway renumberings in the mid-20th century associated with agencies like California Department of Transportation and parallel bodies in other states, following precedents set by the 1930s creation of U.S. Numbered Highways under leaders such as Thomas H. MacDonald. Early alignments often followed preexisting wagon roads and auto trails, with later realignments prompted by the construction of Interstate Highway System segments in the 1950s and 1960s. Notable historical events influencing alignments include postwar suburbanization linked to projects by developers and planners associated with cities like Glendale and Pasadena, flood-control works by entities such as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and environmental reviews under statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act.

Significant improvements over decades were driven by funding mechanisms such as state fuel taxes and federal-aid programs administered through agencies including Federal Highway Administration and integrated with metropolitan planning organizations like the Southern California Association of Governments. Local controversies over expansions or reconfigurations have involved stakeholders including municipal governments of Burbank, neighborhood groups in La Cañada Flintridge, and conservation organizations such as the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council.

Major intersections

Major interchanges commonly include crossings with freeways and routes managed by state and federal entities: junctions with Interstate 5 interchanges serving freight traffic to ports, interchanges with U.S. Route 101 near coastal cities, connectors to Interstate 210 facilitating trans-San Gabriel Valley travel, and ramps to commuter routes leading toward Interstate 405. Other principal intersections often integrate urban arterials like Colorado Boulevard, Ventura Boulevard, Foothill Boulevard, and state highways such as State Route 2 and State Route 118 at grade or via complex ramps. Rail grade separations and multimodal transfer points near Metrolink stations are also frequent, as are intersections adjacent to airports like Bob Hope Airport and seaports serving container traffic to Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach.

Related routes

Associated numbered routes and spurs include connectors to regional expressways and business routes adjacent to corridors like U.S. Route 66 Business and alternate state highways designated during past renumberings. Nearby or related highway numbers that interact via interchange complexes include Interstate 10, State Route 1, State Route 2, State Route 118, and various U.S. Routes, reflecting an integrated network also tied to local arterials named after figures or places such as San Fernando Road, Olive Avenue, and Holliston Avenue. Maintenance and jurisdictional issues frequently involve coordination among agencies including the California Department of Transportation, county public works departments, and municipal transportation departments for cities like Glendale and Pasadena.

In popular culture and incidents

Roadways with this designation have appeared in regional news and media coverage tied to traffic incidents, commuter strikes, and film shoots involving studios such as Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Hollywood, and productions shot in neighborhoods like Burbank and North Hollywood. Notable incidents have included multi-vehicle collisions reported by outlets like Los Angeles Times and KTLA, disaster responses coordinated with agencies like Los Angeles Fire Department and California Highway Patrol, and scenes used in films and television shows produced by companies such as Sony Pictures Entertainment and NBCUniversal. Community activism over expansions has involved elected officials from districts represented by members of bodies like the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and state legislators in the California State Assembly.

Category:State highways in the United States