Pollution, Tax Spending Top Concerns at anti Toll Road Rally

Locals voiced concerns about pollution, wasted tax-dollars and general opposition to the proposed toll lanes on the 405 Freeway during an anti-toll road rally, at the Rush Park Community Center on Monday evening.

After two new alternatives that include high occupancy tolls were proposed by OCTA last April, the Rossmoor Community Service District Board organized the rally to give residents a chance to speak on the matter, before the period for public comment ends.

Against a sign reading ‘Don’t Let the 405 Become the 91,’ about ten residents voiced their concerns to RCSD board members and a crowd of about 50 locals.

Mark Denny, a resident on Martha Ann Street, spoke of concern for extra noise pollution.

“The freeway they built 12 years ago is twice as loud,” he said. “The pollution coming into my backyard right now is already really bad.”

The originally selected alternative, known as alternative 1, was done so by OCTA back in October, amid outcry from city leaders in Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Westminster and Costa Mesa.

Alternative 1 added one general-purpose lane to each side of the freeway, where the new alternatives could add two more lanes to the freeway while converting the existing carpool lane to a high occupancy toll lane.

Many of those who spoke expressed frustration with the way their tax dollars are being used.

“The money should be used in other ways,” resident Robert Nelson said. “This is another way for the bureaucrats to control the people. This is nonsense and this is ridiculous.”  

Resident Bill Maas said, “The federal funding is being held over our heads. I’m sick and tired of politicians and their lame excuses.”

Newly proposed alternatives ‘a’ and ‘b’ were proposed after a supplemental environmental impact report was drafted to reflect possible traffic impact to the city of Long Beach.

According to Diana Carey, Westminster Councilwoman and member of the OCTA policy and OCTA stakeholder working groups, a new OCTA board was elected since the vote in October in which a majority of the board members opposed the toll lanes. The change allowed for the new alternatives and toll lane proposals. Since then, the federal government has also threatened to with hold transportation funding to communities in which the carpool lane is consistently congested. The 405 Freeway in Orange County falls into that category.

Carey, who attended the rally and spoke to OCTA representatives at an earlier meeting that day, said “As the corridor cities, we have said we do not want to be the guinea pig, and have all these HOT lanes throughout our county,” said Carey. “We are unequivocally opposed to any toll roads. We are a self-help county.”

Carey and the RCSD board members urged residents to reach out by writing their local and state representatives.

The decision on whether the project will move forward with or without toll lanes will be made by state and county officials this fall.