LA Council: Just Say No to the 710 Extension

Updated 8:00 AM PST, Thu, Oct 1, 2009

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Three Los Angeles City Council members Wednesday opposed plans to extend the Long Beach Freeway through parts of LA.

Saying it "seems to be impractical and not cost-effective," City Council President Eric Garcetti and councilmen Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes filed a resolution to oppose any freeway extension that would cut through El Sereno, Mount Washington, Glassell Park, Eagle Rock and Highland Park.

"It makes no sense from a traffic relief standpoint," Huizar said.

Instead, the councilmen recommended conducting a study to examine the feasibility of building a tunnel to link from the 710 Freeway to the 210 Foothill Freeway.

Under the proposal, the tunnel would pass underneath El Sereno, South Pasadena and Alhambra. The tunnel opening would be built south of Valley Boulevard to eliminate disruption to the residential neighborhoods in El Sereno.

"The resolution does not in any way mean that I support a tunnel," Huizar said. "I will wait to see the data before making a decision one way or the other on the tunnel, but make no mistake, I intend to work side-by-side with the El Sereno community to protect our homes and our community."

In January, Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority began conducting boring and seismic reflection activities at 33 locations across the city to determine if a tunnel would be feasible. Such a project may cost at least $3-billion.

Caltrans has been trying connect the Long Beach Freeway to the Foothill Freeway for several decades, but has been unable to get past legal challenges from South Pasadena and other cities.

Copyright City News Service

First Published: Oct 1, 2009 7:20 AM PST

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{"totSize":5,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_63095247","adminTags":null,"views":923,"createdBy":12329328,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"LA Council: Just Say No to the 710 Extension","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2321623,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"1 Oct 2009 16:47:02 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"All_Hallows_Eve","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"990986","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Personally speaking, I find the 710 frwy to be pure driving bliss, from start to finish. The roar and pounding of the big rigs who hog the road and the fresh smell of diesel exhaust in the morning. The bumps, potholes and ridges that were embedded when the asphalt was laid leave you feeling like you've just had an invigorating massage. The increased driving lanes from the removal of the emergency lane as well as the narrowing of the original lanes to accommodate more vehicles. The soothing sound of rushing water from the river that forms along the center median, as well as shoulder when it rains. Did I fail to mention it's also one of California's finest scenic routes? Simply put - the 710 frwy is the ultimate driving experience - at it's best. So, why not extend it? We all need more of a good thing, right? Bring it on!"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_63095247","adminTags":null,"views":923,"createdBy":13173831,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"LA Council: Just Say No to the 710 Extension","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2321623,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"1 Oct 2009 20:59:21 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ClydeThomas","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"992737","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Why can't people keep things simple? Reyes, Garcetti, and Board of Public Works or their reps never attended any of the steering and technical committees during the last three years that Caltrans has been hussling this job. Huizar's people finally took real notice when El Sereno, Highland Park, Glassel PArk,Eagle Rock, and Mt Washington had 100-300 poeple meetings...but all along Huizar, DeLeon, Cedillo, and Caltrans were developing the SB 545 which puts aside ALL of the efforts of the last two years and says the Tunnel (only one) would be between the I-10 (both El Sereno and Alhambra) and I-210 in Pasadena. As currently proposed, the tunnel portal begins somewhere south of Valley Blvd. and could extend to some place near Huntington Dr. or Poplar, in Alhambra AND would only remove 200 houses rather than the 500 houses for the surface route. Residents in southwest Alhambra and southeast El Sereno are going door-to-door to fight thei "elected representative" and get this project either shelved forever, like the SR2/Glendale Freeway stub ( old Sunset Freeway), OR get it moved out of LA totally/surface or subsurface, bored or cut-N-cover. The tunnels don't solve any problems on the I210, HUntington Drive, Valley, or I-10...it only adds to them like the various projects on the I110/Harbor Freeway(???). We need freeway access, we need alternative commuter traffic methods for people in Monrovia, Arcadia, San Marino, WE NEED ALOT OF THINGS BUT WE DON'T NEED THIS MESS, AGAIN, AND AGAIN, SINCE 1949, 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999, AND NOW 2009. CT"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_63095247","adminTags":null,"views":923,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"LA Council: Just Say No to the 710 Extension","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2321623,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"1 Oct 2009 22:07:26 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"993124","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"When are we going to figure out that more freeways with more pollution and more traffic are not the way of the future. This city needs to follow other cities in transporting goods via rail from ports instead of lorries. Do any of the residents whether directly effected or not really want more huge lorries powering by pushes cars off the freeways and on to local surface streets? "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_63095247","adminTags":null,"views":923,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"LA Council: Just Say No to the 710 Extension","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2321623,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"2 Oct 2009 00:53:39 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"993807","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"To Clyde and others you keep spreading misinformation about the tunnel portals and there positioning. you are spot on on most other analysis of the technical aspects of this "concept" and that is all it is a concept , not a project. stated in the legislations SB 545 (current web sites list old versions) there will be no cut and cover use for the creation of the portals south of palmetto in pasadena and no cut and cover use for portals north of valley. cut and cover is possible for ventilation (if needed by design) and other things like emergency exits for safety evacuations or safety personell access not On ramps or vehicle access. but all this will be worked out if and when full environmental analysis begins. as for all the concern by a tunnel route running under northeast la, you are all being used as pawns in this ground battle to defeat any completion of the "gap" by South Pasadena's original freeway fighters. all the misinformation on gloom and doom in for la neighbohoods is being orchestrated by principles from South Pasadena. the Multi-Mode Low Build alternative they hold up as the holy grail of regional solutions still has key elements in it supporting increasing north south traffic flow capabilities on Figueroa from the 5 to the 210 and the ever popular extending the 710 from valley blvd to mission... read it for yourself at the Stop the 710 Tunnel sites... the leadership of the city of south pasadena has continued to defend the neighbors of El Sereno and their homes. SB 545 will forever remove the uncertainty of the threat of a surface freeway. why LA councilman have just sounded in is puzzling... since they have been briefed along the way. stop being used and find out the real facts"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_63095247","adminTags":null,"views":923,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"LA Council: Just Say No to the 710 Extension","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2321623,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"3 Oct 2009 16:00:47 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1002700","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"ClydeThomas is NOT wrong. And, it is not only South Pasadena residents trying to stop the 710. The proposals also may send tunnels or freeways through several other neighborhoods including Cypress Park and Taylor Yard, El Sereno, Highland Park, Glassel PArk,Eagle Rock, and Mt Washington. It is unacceptable to put tunnels or freeways so close to homes in quiet neighborhoods. "}],"error":"","totPages":1}