Toll Highways, The New Normal
I would like to add to Jim Chase’s My Thoughts in the Feb. 28 issue about tolling on L.A. freeways and state that I agree with him wholeheartedly about this disturbing change to our transportation infrastructure. The plan for tolling many of the freeways in L.A. County has been in the works for some time now, a plan detailed in a report by Metro’s InfraConsult in 2010 and is now moving forward at lightning speed.

Have you seen all the preliminary work on the 405? Not only is tolling planned for the I-710 Expansion, the SR-710 Tunnel, and the High Desert Corridor projects but also for the I-405 and Sepulveda Pass, the I-5 at the Newhall Pass, and another “gap closure” on the SR-71. A presentation given by InfraConsult at the Transportation Summit last August calls this plan, “Local Taxes and Highway Tolls: The New Normal.” You can see this presentation at http://www.no710.com/_critical-issues-links/financial-reports-&-investor_presentations/micheael-schneider-tollways.pdf.

The pilot program on the I-110 is to test the viability of tolling in Los Angeles through public-private partnerships even though San Diego and Orange Counties have had serious problems with these types of investment contracts. The taxpayers had to pick up the tab of about $1 billion for both the failed SR-125 and the SR-91 freeways, money that LA County cannot spare. No matter how frustrating our freeway system is, I would urge everyone not to participate in this expensive pilot program and to look very carefully at any future ballot measures that are transportation related.

Susan Bolan
La Crescenta
No 710 Action Committee – no710.com

Roll On – Without Him
Let’s see, we appear to be on a roll to ban things, i.e. plastic bags, incandescent light bulbs, automatic weapons, bullet magazines (more than 10), styrofoam, soft drinks more than 16 ounces, fat foods determined by the government, smoking (even outdoors) and wood burning fireplaces, then tax us for rainwater runoff from our properties, and charge us tolls on our “freeways?” Luckily, I’m not a one-per-center. Otherwise I’d really be in trouble.
Bill Costello
La Crescenta