The 710 Tunnel Is Feeling Some California Legislative Love

They helped give us SB 375 and a public education system teetering on the edge of collapse. They also gave us 10's of billions in dollars in debt, so large an amount that they have been forced to issue Confederate-style scrip to keep up the lights on. And who knows, the way things are going in Sacramento maybe instead of a tax refund next year they'll just send you a manilla envelope stuffed with California Lottery "Scratchers." You know, where you can win the big jackpots?

But now, just to show you that Napoleon the XIV wasn't the most insane make-believe ruler of all time, they're about to top all of their own already considerable accomplishments. The California State Legislature looks to be in the process of making the 710 Tunnel a reality. People don't want it, we can't afford it, environmentalists shudder, and some engineers think it will shatter with the first decent earthquake to come along, but hey! What's the problem with all that stuff when there's business to be done?

LA Curbed.com has now posted a story reporting that the 710 Tunnel is just sailing along in Sacramento. And the Assembly that just can't spend enough, or bend over far enough to please the construction trades lobbies (among many others), is about to maximize their madness one more time.

"A bill that would ensure any connection made between the 710 and 210 freeways is underground just passed a 10-0 vote in the Assembly's transportation committee - the third unanimous vote by a policy committee according to the office of state senator Gilbert Cedillo. The LA politician is a sponsor of AB 545, which if passed, could resolve a 50-year dispute over how to plug up the hole in the two freeways ..."

Now if we were dealing with a real government here, perhaps the cost - which apparently is staggering - would be at least considered. Particularly in the face of California's ballooning debt. But we are talking about Sacramento, so any consideration of the rational is probably inappropriate. And apparently an unidentified writer over at LA Weekly's LA DAILY blog is suffering from just such an unfortunate addiction to reality:

"An underground passage, which would involve twin, 4.5 mile long tunnels, has increasingly seemed to be a somewhat acceptable workaround to a project that has been suspended but never killed. The problem is that tunneling underground is so expensive that one wonders if the action by the Assembly's Transportation Committee was a serious gesture or, even, a maneuver intended to kill the project by making it too expensive to undertake."

Far from it for me to be droll, but I would not in any way ever think that a fear of over-spending on the Assembly's part would somehow prevent this tunnel from being built. And the next time the LA Weekly hires a writer to cover Sacramento they really need to consider someone with a stronger background in Science Fiction. 

With Caltrans, SCAG, and the usual development lobbies all lining up behind this project, my guess is passage of a bill that would push this 710 Tunnel to fruition seems assured. The real purpose behind this tunnel is to speed the delivery of products landing at the ports of Long Beach and San Pedro inland to market. And the way things are today is not at all pleasing to trucking companies, big box retailers, and the powerful foreign manufacturing countries that so generously lend this country their money. I mean, you didn't think that our being the greatest debtor nation this world has ever seen wouldn't have at least a few consequences now, did you?

The next time you are in Wal*Mart checking out the many bargains to be found there, think of it this way. If the 710 tunnel was in existence now, most of the stuff there would have traveled through it.

And the consequences of this tunnel's completion will be devastating to the San Gabriel Valley. La Canada's Valley Sun spells this out clearly:

* An increase of 25% or more daily traffic on the 210 Freeway

* An additional 30,000 vehicles per day on the 210

* Some 850 more trucks per hour (8,500 trucks per day) on the 210 than we already see today

* Gridlock on the 210 where it passes through our cities, forcing traffic onto local streets and boulevards.

And where does this information come from?

All of this (and more) is a scenario as seen by Erik Zandvliet, traffic engineer for the city of La Canada Flintridge, after he reviewed the draft "I-710 Missing Link truck Study" presented recently by the Southern California Association of Governments.

Knowing that these figures were prepared by SCAG makes me wonder if perhaps the real consequences (noise levels, air pollution, environmental impacts, traffic congestion) won't be far worse.

In a commentary piece published on the Glendale News Press's website, Bill Weisman had a lot to say about how the State Senate is working this one. I'll cite a passage, but you really should follow the link and read the entire article.

Such legislation has been introduced by State Sen. Gil Cedillo in the form of Senate Bill 1350. Among other comments, the nonpartisan legislative analyst has said "this bill provides little or no opportunity for public or legislative scrutiny prior to the award of what would be a very large, very complex, very innovative contract," and, "Given that this project has been on the books for decades, the committee may wish to consider whether a hasty review of this bill is prudent and necessary." 

With CEQA review having been removed from redevelopment considerations in SB 375, and SB 1350 informing us that as far as the 710 Tunnel goes we can just butt out, it is becoming quite obvious that Sacramento has gotten a little tired of the democracy thing getting in the way of business.

Bill Weisman also goes on to note that this bill is opposed by the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (they think it might be unconstitutional), the cities of La Canada Flintridge, and South Pasadena, and the Planning and Conservation League. The only registered supporter? A paid lobbyist named Nat Read and his 710 Freeway Coalition. In case you are blissfully unaware, Nat is a former cop who became known for writing poetry about the rigors of life in law enforcement.

So if just about everyone impacted and involved is against the 710 Tunnel, why is it in the process of being made the law in Sacramento? There is just one answer that I can think of. Only money makes their world go around. Your concerns are of little importance.