South Pasadena says yes (sort of) to 710 Freeway extension

The fight against the extension of the 710 Freeway through South Pasadena has been going on for so long, it's all but become part of the city motto. Now, mere weeks after voting against a state proposal to seek private cash to put the hated extension underground, the South Pasadena City Council has reversed itself, the Pasadena Star-News reports:

City leaders changed their minds when the bill's sponsor, Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, proposed new language that would recommend that the above-ground route be eliminated from consideration. The amendments also recommend that hundreds of state-owned homes along the route be sold.

The vote at a special meeting on Monday night was 4 to 1 to support the bill. Councilman Richard Schneider, the lone holdout, warned the language in the bill may not be strong enough to enforce, and South Pasadena would wind up with the above-ground, city-splitting freeway they've always feared. The Star-News' full story is here.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Richard]

What is the big deal about splitting a city in two?!

[J in Pasadena]

We all thought South Pasadena would stand up for its city. The freeway route is the result of gerrymandering it away from San Marino decades ago. Then when South Pas proposed the natural route along the LA-South Pas border the CORRUPT LA city council voted to allow developers free reign over the new path. South Pas already has the 110. What cities get garbage like this with two freeways slicing them in half? The 70s condos should be bulldozed in Monterey Hills and the freeway made ABOVE GROUND along the LA-South Pas border. South Pas has some city council that votes to harm constituents. It's way too expensive for the tunnel and an engineering nightmare. This is what the MTA (another do-nothing, corrupt bureaucracy) wants. Just to be clear -- what a joke. Total joke.