Roscoe Boulevard
{{short description|Arterial road in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox street
|name=Roscoe Boulevard
|image=Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, USA - panoramio (149).jpg
|caption=Roscoe Boulevard in Northridge
|namesake=a Southern Pacific employee named Roscoe or Roscoe Conkling or something else{{cite web|title=Roscoe Boulevard |url=https://lastreetnames.com/street/roscoe-boulevard/|website=lastreetnames.com|author=Mark Tapio Kines|access-date=September 11, 2024}}
|maint=Bureau of Street Services, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
|length_mi=18
| metro= {{LACMTA link logo}}{{LACMTA icon|G}}Roscoe
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a=Valley Circle Boulevard in West Hills
|junction={{jct|state=CA|SR|27}}
{{jct|state=CA|I|405}}
{{jct|state=CA|CA|170}}
Gaps in route
{{jct|state=CA|I|5}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b=Verdugo Mountains in Sun Valley
}}
Roscoe Boulevard is a major east–west arterial road that runs for {{convert|18|mi|km|}} across the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California.
Name
There are two theories as to how Roscoe Boulevard got its name. The first is that it is named after a Southern Pacific employee named Roscoe who regularly asked to get off near his girlfriend's house on the street. The second is that it is named after ex-Senator Roscoe Conkling, who had recently represented Southern Pacific in Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Co.. It is also possible that both theories are incorrect.
Route
Roscoe Boulevard travels east–west across almost the entire San Fernando Valley. From west to east, the boulevard travels from West Hills, through Canoga Park, Winnetka, Northridge, Van Nuys, North Hills, Panorama City and into Sun Valley. Slightly west of Lankershim Boulevard, the main segment of the street changes to Tuxford Street, which later changes to La Tuna Canyon Boulevard east of Glenoaks Boulevard.
Roscoe Boulevard has four lanes or more for almost its entire length and is arterial for most of its length, but is residential for two short sections in Sun Valley, these sections separated by a {{convert|0.7|mi|km|}} gap from the rest of the street and a {{convert|0.1|mi|km|}} gap from each other.
==Transit==
Metro Local Line 152 runs along Roscoe Boulevard{{cite web|title=Metro Local 152|url=https://cdn.beta.metro.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/01153941/152_TT_12-10-23.pdf|accessdate=September 11, 2024 |publisher=Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority}} and the G Line's Roscoe station is located at Roscoe and Canoga Avenue in Canoga Park.{{cite web|title=Orange Line Map and Station Locations|url=http://www.metro.net/riding/maps/orange-line/|accessdate=June 30, 2013|publisher=Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority}}
The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project plans to have a stop at Roscoe and Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City.{{Cite web |title=Metro staff recommends building light rail between Van Nuys and Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station |url=https://thesource.metro.net/2018/06/15/metro-staff-recommends-building-light-rail-between-van-nuys-and-sylmar-san-fernando-metrolink-station/ |last=Hymon |first=Steve |date=June 16, 2018 |publisher=Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority}}
Roscoe Boulevard is a major contributor to the North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor.{{Cite web |title=North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor |url=https://www.metro.net/projects/north-sfv-brt/ |accessdate=September 10, 2024 |publisher=Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority}} In 2019, Bus Rapid Transit was proposed on the Panorama City/arterial Sun Valley portion of the street,{{Cite web |title=Here's the Proposed Route of the North Valley Bus Rapid Transit Line |url=https://la.urbanize.city/post/heres-proposed-route-north-valley-bus-rapid-transit-line |author=Steven Sharp |date=June 17, 2019 |publisher=Urbanize Los Angeles}} but it was blocked by local residents.{{Cite web |title=Metro Board adopts plan for upgraded bus service in the northern San Fernando Valley |url=https://la.urbanize.city/post/metro-board-adopts-plan-upgraded-bus-service-northern-san-fernando-valley |author=Steven Sharp |date=December 12, 2022 |publisher=Urbanize Los Angeles}}
Notable landmarks
Notable landmarks on Roscoe include (from west to east): Roscoe-Valley Circle Park, Orcutt Ranch Horticulture Center, Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Van Nuys Airport, a Budweiser brewery, Panorama City Branch Library, Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center, Wat Thai of Los Angeles, and Verdugo Mountain Park. Busch Gardens was formerly on Roscoe Boulevard as well.
Schools on Roscoe include (from west to east): Winnetka Avenue Elementary School, Cleveland High School, Valley International Preparatory High School, Noble Avenue Elementary School, Vista Middle School, St. Genevieve High School, The Master's Seminary, Byrd Middle School, and John H. Francis Polytechnic High School.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Streets in Los Angeles}}
Category:Streets in the San Fernando Valley
Category:Streets in Los Angeles
Category:Streets in Los Angeles County, California
Category:Canoga Park, Los Angeles
Category:Winnetka, Los Angeles
Category:Northridge, Los Angeles
Category:Van Nuys, Los Angeles