Wanting a voice

So officials in the eastern San Gabriel Valley are thinking about a new lobbying push for transportation projects they feel are being neglected. One of them is the long-languishing extension of the 71 Freeway, the former "Corona Expressway" that is now called "Chino Valley Freeway." Part of the 71 is a regular freeway, but because of budget woes, a good-sized section is still an expressway -- and is considered a dangerous road:

The group, which could include Diamond Bar, Claremont, Pomona, Chino Hills, Walnut and Industry, will garner regional support for local concerns often neglected, advocates said. "Most of the time, the attention is on the middle of the county," said Carol Herrera, Diamond Bar councilwoman and president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. Projects such as the 710 tunnel has been the focus of the San Gabriel Valley COG, a municipal lobbying group, she said. Herrera said the new lobbying group would raise awareness and funding for projects, such as the 57 and 60 freeway interchange and the completion of the 71 freeway would be a priority. The lobbying group may also discuss housing and local water issues, she said.