Author: Brenda McNary
In order to raise awareness of the proposed 710 Freeway tunnel, which could run near Oxy’s campus, the Urban and Environmental Policy Insititute (UEPI) hosted a panel of community activists and experts last Thursday.
The panel consisted of Los Angeles Times reporter Chip Jacobs, South Pasadena resident and 710 activist Joanne Nuckols, Pasadena attorney and Caltrans expert Chris Sutton, El Sereno resident and Geologist/Environmental engineering expert Tom Williams, Pasadena attorney Don Jones and South Pasadena resident and 710 activist Mary Ann Parada.
Proposed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the expansion has been under consideration for the last 60 years, despite community activism against it. Current estimates for the extension range from $4 billion to $11 billion.
The 710 extension would create an underground tunnel, with five routes currently being examined. One of these routes would run adjacent to Oxy with its exit point at the intersection of Verdugo Boulevard and the 2 Freeway. According to the panelists, the Eagle Rock route is the most likely based on a 2006 soil survey, which found digging in this location to be the cheapest option. Mount Washington, South Pasadena, Highland Park or San Marino sit atop the other possible routes.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has filed for $780 million from Measure R, a ballot measure that increased sales taxes to fund transportation projects across the state last November. However, the city of Los Angeles has blocked the funding due to litigation over potential problems with the 1970 California Environmental Quality Act.
According to the L.A. Metro Web site, the 710 “is a vital transportation artery [and] . . . as a result of population growth, increased cargo container volume at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, increasing traffic volumes and an aging infrastructure, the I-710 Freeway experiences serious congestion and safety issues.”
Nuckols mentioned that the extension has been contested by local residents since 1949. Due to the intensive lobbying of community members and outside organizations, such as the Sierra Club and National Trust, an above-ground freeway route has been dropped. However, the new tunnel plan presents many more problems for local communities. “Out of sight, out of mind is not the issue with these tunnels,” Nuckols said.
In addition to increased regular traffic, the freeway would serve transport trucks carrying cargo from the Port of Los Angeles at the other end of the 710 freeway. These trucks would release a large amount of harmful emissions into the tunnels, which could severely impact local communities.
“Even though the expansion is a proposed tunnel, possible vents could dump all the fumes from cars and trucks into our neighborhoods – not to mention one of the proposed portals is extremely close to Oxy,” said Felicia Castaneda (senior), who is studying the 710 expansion for her UEP comps. “I definitely think Oxy students should get involved and should want to get involved, or at least care.”
Sutton said at the panel that Caltrans has a long history of misappropriating tax dollars, and the project would likely be extremely expensive. Because of its cost, the finished tunnel would likely have a toll, making the tunnel unsustainable for local residents’ use and funneling money to outside entities.
Despite the expansion’s potential impact on Oxy, student attendees were few. “It’s a shame more people didn’t show up, but I don’t feel too discouraged because I know its hard to organize and motivate students to come to lunch time meetings and we hadn’t had much time to advertise the meeting,” Castaneda said. “If, and I actually mean when, the freeway expansion is no longer a possibility, it will represent a major victory for the public.”
For more information about the proposed 710 Freeway expansion, check out the “No 710 Freeway Tunnel” Facebook group or the city of South Pasadena’s webpage at http://www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us/transportation/710.html. The next panel will be Jan. 23.
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