710 foes worry

Is the opposition to the 710 extension lessening in South Pasadena? Some longtime -- and aging -- freeway foes worry about this as officials plan a study of the 710 tunnel idea. These old-timers tell the Star-News that they want to pass the torch to other, younger residents:

Many of the city's most vocal freeway critics have been battling efforts by Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to connect the freeway gap between the Los Angeles/Alhambra border and Pasadena since 1964. Now as these activists get older, they have begun to express fears that younger residents, and members of the City Council, will not have the same passion for staving off a freeway through the center of South Pasadena -- in either surface or tunnel form. "I call on the young people of South Pasadena to take our place," said longtime resident and political activist Robert Siev, looking into television cameras on hand for the occasion. "We are old; some of us are in our 80s. We are tired of fighting the freeway."

Comments

[Ernie]

"How's this for a compromise; since nobody can get through South Pasadena and that limits the quality of life for millions of drivers, the residents of South Pasadena should agree to not use any of the other freeways in return for not extending the 710. Give their cars special plates, make the fine the confiscation of the car. Think they can get 50% of the voters to agree for the sake of their neighborhoods?"

GREAT IDEA! How about also making all the roads surrounding South Pasadena as toll roads which would be free for every one else except South Pasadenans. For example, the City of Alhambra should charge $20 each way for every South Pasadenan who drives up or down Fremont Ave through their city. Alhambra, Monterey Park, drivers would have no charge.

[Jason Hoppe]

Eric G,

That's an idea, but it still doesn't solve the problem of those people on the 710 coming from Long Beach, etc. If anything it would increase traffic on the 110 all the way from the harbor to Pasadena causing a virtual stand still. The people on the 710 will still come to the dead end in Alhambra. Just imagine 50% of the traffic from the 710 added on top of the already congested 110.

Also they wouldn't even think of complete CA-110 to the 210 cause its marked as a historical land mark. Same reason if they complete the 710 there will be no interchange with it.

[Eric G]

If they're not going to connect I-710 to the freeway stub south of the I-210 and CA-134 interchange, at least connect CA-110 to it. The missing gap there is only about a mile. Just build a big elevated ramp from S Pasadena Ave & W California Blvd to S Arroyo Pkwy & E Glenarm St. This would fix a missing gap and wouldn't add truck traffic as trucks aren't allowed on CA-110.

[Brent Jonas]

Given the incredible traffic counts that the other freeways leading into, and throughout the downtown area carry, the 710 connection will signifcantly ease the burden on freeways such as 110, I-110, I-5 and I-10. Constructing the missing gap will by no means eliminate traffic congestion (the freeways surrounding 710 will still see several hours of congestion daily), but the severity of congestion will be eased, and average speeds will improve for years to come. To move along at an average of 15 - 20 MPH is still progress, compared to the 3 - 5 MPH movements that are now commonplace throughout the downtown freeway grid.

I-110 stands to improve more than any other freeway, constructing the I-710 gap could reduce traffic counts to under 300,000 vehicles a day (it currently carries between 330,000 and 345,000); a number not seen since the mid 1980's. If the I-710 isn't constructed, it's possible that I-110 in the future will become an 18 hour congestion zone by 2020.

[Jim 7]

How's this for a compromise; since nobody can get through South Pasadena and that limits the quality of life for millions of drivers, the residents of South Pasadena should agree to not use any of the other freeways in return for not extending the 710. Give their cars special plates, make the fine the confiscation of the car. Think they can get 50% of the voters to agree for the sake of their neighborhoods?

[Jason Hoppe]

"The people who should worry most is not South Pasadena - it's the people on the northbound 210 freeway. These cities are going to get a LOT more truck traffic.

You will see La Canada, northern Glendale, Montrose, and Sunland will get tons more truck traffic."

Yeah, and the current cities of Alhambra, LA, and many other deserve it more with where the 710 freeway currently ends?

If that is the way those cities feel, they should never have allowed the 210 to be built.

The 710 is long overdue.

[alex]

Maybe if the "younger residents" aren't fighting the freeway is because they realize it is important. After all, the self-described 80-year-olds probably don't have to deal with horrendous commutes on a daily basis.

[Clay]

NIMBY's at their worst

[Tim K.]

The people who should worry most is not South Pasadena - it's the people on the northbound 210 freeway. These cities are going to get a LOT more truck traffic.

You will see La Canada, northern Glendale, Montrose, and Sunland will get tons more truck traffic.

[Bill]

Long overdue, this logical connection should have been finished years ago.