Patch Blog: 710 Freeway, Its Time Has Passed

I started my study of the 710 Freeway fight as a child listening to my parents, I can honestly say that I have the most background and understanding of this issue.  The basis for our City's opposition to the Meridian Route of the 710 Freeway is our right of home rule and control over our streets. 

As an independent incorporated city, the City of South Pasadena has the right to decide where within our city any freeway can go. When the state tried to force the freeway down the center of our city, we said no. We did not oppose the design.  It did not matter whether it was at grade, below grade, tunnel or sky way, the City of South Pasadena would not allow a freeway to split our City in two.

The environmental issues came along during the 1970's with the Clean Air Act and the requirements of CEQA and NEPA. They only reinforced the core of our position but did not replace them. We were able to add the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Sierra Club, the National Resource Defense Council to our side when the city took an official "No Freeway" position in the late 1980's, because of the environmental issues, but we did not surrender our rights as a city.

Our city councils have been weak over the last ten years. That weakness has invited the tunnel proposal, which is nothing but an attempt to compromise on certain historic preservation and environmental issues. Just because Sacramento signed into law the so called "Martinez Bill" to take away our city's rights does not mean we have to recognize it.

If the state could have built the freeway with the "Martinez Bill" over our objection, it would have been built 30 years ago. If they do not need our approval for the tunnel, they would not ask for it. The Martinez Bill is a worthless piece of paper. We have had weak leadership that has confused our friends and encouraged our opponents. 

Our own city council created this "opposition to the surface route," to open the way to study the tunnel. Don't buy this deception; the fact is the City of South Pasadena has always objected to the 710 Freeway down the middle of our city. No one should be confused, the basis for our objection has been on the location—not the design.

After 60 years and five failed attempts at an EIR, the 710 Freeway is neither critical or urgent. All of the environmental arguments are valid, but that still does not trump our rights as a city. We have learned a few things about transportation since this freeway was proposed in 1940's. Why would we want to go back to 1949? It is time to kill a failed project and move on to new solutions. 

I know the MTA and Caltrans. I know how they operate. I know how they think they can outlast us. There is no one running for city council that is more qualified to represent the City of South Pasadena on this issue.

Let me know what you think.