It Ain’t Over ’Til …

Did you think the SR 710 North tunnel project was dead? Think again. Beginning as early as the 1940s, the dispute over the proposed extension of the 710 freeway is one of the longest running transportation battles ever. And it’s not over yet. The decision by the Metro board in May 2017 to “de-fund” the tunnel alternative and the passage of Measure M that specifically excludes money for it led many to believe that the tunnel was no longer being considered. However, the team of consultants that were paid to study the alternatives is still hard at work, refining the language of the focused recirculated draft environmental document and finishing up the full report. There is no accurate timetable for when the final version will be released. It could be at the end of the summer; it could be years. Around $50 million has been spent on the study thus far.

It is expected that the final report will include both the single- and dual-bore tunnels in the list of alternatives along with bus rapid transit (BRT), light rail transit (LRT), transportation systems management/transportation demand management (TSM/TDM) and, of course, “no-build.” What this means is there still exists the possibility for the tunnel(s) to be named as the “preferred alternative” or at least considered a viable solution that could come back at a later date if corporate or federal funding is found. So far, the tunnel still remains on long-range transportation plans for the county and state as a placeholder. It needs to be removed now.

So what if Metro/Caltrans choose another alternative such as the TSM/TDM? There is still over $700 million of Measure R funds that could be used to improve the way the streets flow in the region. The money could also be allocated toward a really dynamic project such as what has been proposed by the folks at Connecting Pasadena Project. The cities of Alhambra/El Sereno, South Pasadena and Pasadena could really benefit from such a redesign of the freeway stubs that would incorporate retail, housing, and open space. The CPP proposal, if built, would once again connect the parts of Old Pasadena that have been physically divided by the freeway. A removal of the corresponding southern stub of the 710 Freeway from Valley Boulevard to the I-10 would allow the same type of renewal to the area near Cal State LA while redirecting traffic in a much better way. TSM/TDM elements would help move the north/south traffic, which is about 20% of the current total. The rest is local traffic.

The other part of this equation is the Caltrans housing. Back in the 1960s, in preparation for the surface freeway, Caltrans seized over 500 houses. Caltrans essentially became the landlord for these properties as they were rented back to the original owners and new tenants under a low-income program. Over the decades, there were hundreds of tenant reports of mismanagement and poor conditions that led to an audit in 2012 of Caltrans by the State of California. It was reported that Caltrans wasted millions while allowing the houses to fall in disrepair and many became vacant. The recent effort by Caltrans to sell the “surplus” properties has resulted in a lot of unhappy tenants waiting for the cobwebs of bureaucracy to unweave. Complex sales regulations have further frustrated residents who may never be able to own their homes outright. Only a few have been sold.

Now is the time for the cities and elected officials to stand tall and work together to solve this issue, not fight among themselves in the public eye. There is about $700 million waiting, ripe for the picking. Tell them and the transportation agencies how you do and do not want your tax dollars spent. Call or write today.

Susan Bolan
susanbolan710@gmail.com