710 Tunnel: Checkmate!

31 May

710 TUNNEL:

CHECKMATE!

May 25, 2017

The METRO Board voted unanimously (12-0) Thursday morning to abandon the proposed 710 single bore freeway tunnel through El Sereno, South Pasadena and SW Pasadena, to be replaced with:

“Mobility improvements that are fundable with existing resources (to) bring some relief to affected corridor cities.”

Fiscal practicality and the growing crush of traffic in communities along the corridor compelled the unanimous METRO decision.

Read the Metro motion here:

https://metro.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3049590&GUID=55856400-3377-4425-88CC-1C09834C7F17&FullText=1

Cost of the tunnel was estimated at $5+ billion, with only $780 million reliably allocated (and $730 million remaining) from Measure R. Funding from Public Private Partnership deals (PPP’s), expected to make-up the difference, was not forthcoming.

With Thursday’s action $105 million from Measure R funds now is available for mitigation of local congestion in affected communities, projects already approved by the existing EIS/EIR.

The remaining balance from Measure R funds will be allocated to “capacity enhancements and operational improvements” to communities along the corridor and decided by “collective agreement” and an EIR process.

Corridor cities and Caltrans now will work with Metro staff to pursue policies to “minimize impacts of the regional traffic on communities along the SR-710 corridor” and report back to the Metro Board.

NOTE:  Two years ago SRNA took a position that regional traffic could be effectively addressed only by mitigating freight traffic trucked from the ports.

Statements from Supervisor Janice Hahn on Thursday emphasized the need for on-dock rail for short hauls, pushing long-haul trucking out of the LA metropolitan area and up to North County distribution centers.

Success with these projects is dependent upon

corridor cooperation, starting with the port!

For more information on The GRID Project:

http://www.gridinc.biz/thegridproject/

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