Long Beach Considers Replacing Parkway with Park

"[C]ity officials are considering a radical makeover of west Long Beach that would involve ripping out a one-mile section of one of the Southland's first freeways, now mostly used by truckers, and replacing it with a long ribbon of green space," report Christine Mai-Duc and Laura J. Nelson. "The proposal, backed by an array of groups and the focus of a new state-funded study, would mark the first time a stretch of Southern California freeway was removed and converted to a non-transportation use."

"Councilman James Johnson represents the area and says the proposal offers an opportunity to improve the lives of thousands of west Long Beach residents. 'The original sin of this whole area is bad land use planning,' he said. 'If we are able to re-envision this freeway ... [and create] a buffer for neighborhoods, that's a huge win.'"