Political opposition to the controversial I-605 Corridor Improvement Project is gaining traction on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors hit the brakes on a controversial freeway widening project proposed for Interstate 605 and intersecting sections of interstates 5, 10, and 105 in addition to California State Route 60.
The Metro board unanimously approved a motion to delay the I-605 Freeway Corridor Improvement Project "and to study alternatives that would minimize the demolition of homes," reports Joe Linton.
According to Linton, "Metro’s official statements, including a September 29 letter from CEO Phil Washington, have been largely dismissive" of negative feedback on the project. The Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG) and the city of Downey are two local jurisdictions cited by Linton as examples of community opposition to I-605 Corridor Improvement Project. The Metro Board of Directors, however, responded to that feedback. Linton provides more detail about the board's actions:
Last week, six boardmembers put forth a motion that delays the release of the project environmental studies (draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report – dEIR/EIS) until after Metro staff study more alternatives. The motion specified that those alternatives will include one that “minimizes right-of-way impacts” and/or a “Transportation System/Demand Management (TSM/TDM) alternative” similar to what the board approved in place of the canceled $6 billion North 710 Freeway tunnel project through South Pasadena.
Linton also provides details of the widespread opposition to the project expressed by members of the board.
FULL STORY: Metro Board Unanimously Approves Motion to Delay 605/5 Freeway Widening and Instead Study Alternatives
Planned Highway Widening Requires Eminent Domain in Southern California
Advocates are calling out regional and state transportation planning agencies for a failure of racial justice as plans to widen a freeway in Southern California move forward.
L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan
The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.
Benefits Harder to Recognize as Costs to Widen the I-405 Rise
Was the I-405 widening project worth it for Los Angeles? Depends on whom you ask.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
Car Noise Is Killing Us
It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.
Houston Bike Summit Makes In-Person Return
The event will focus on improving bike safety and continuing maintenance on the city's growing network of bike lanes and trails.
Austin’s Transit CEO Moving to D.C.
After overseeing a major system redesign and plans for its largest-ever expansion, the head of Capital Metro will take over Washington, D.C.’s transit agency.
NYC 25x25 Plan Would Reclaim ‘13 Central Parks’ From Cars
A plan backed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams would repurpose 25 percent of the city’s street space for multimodal transportation and pedestrian plazas.
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
