I thought this deserved its own thread. Metro announced the I-605 Corridor Improvement Project (605 CIP) from just north of the I-10 interchange to Rosecrans Blvd just south of the I-105 interchange. The project affects nine San Gabriel Valley cities — Baldwin Park, Downey, City of Industry, El Monte, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, and Whittier, as well the unincorporated county areas Avocado Heights, Rose Hills, West Whittier/Los Nietos.
Some links
LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority site (https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-hot-spots-program/i-605-corridor-improvements-project/)
Background from Metro (https://thesource.metro.net/2020/10/07/update-on-i-605-corridor-improvement-projects-planning-studies/)
Streetsblog (https://la.streetsblog.org/2020/10/02/metro-plans-to-take-out-200-downey-homes-to-widen-5-and-605-freeways/)
Downey (the town most affected by this) reaction (https://www.downeyca.org/Home/Components/News/News/1084/15)
It looks interesting, with all build alternatives looking like they will add two lanes each way. I don't have much to say on this because it's not on my typical routes in and out of the area.
Thanks; I drive the section from CA 91 to the Whittier area most often. I also use it to return to the South Bay from the Inland Empire. Weekend mornings are ok, but afternoons that route gets slammed southbound near Whittier.
Personally I think alternative 3 is the best option. I'll be very interested to see if this even happens and if it does what makes it different from the 710 enhancements they decided to "temporarily shelve."
I hit it a lot going to LAX via I-105, so any improvement is welcome.
Surprise surprise the anti car nuts are afoot and NO MORE LANES signs have quickly been spotted by Joe Linton and his crew of heroes that are going to rid the world of freeways and save this planet one lane removal at a time.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/01/01/downey-freeway-fighters-hang-no-more-lanes-banner-over-5-freeway/?fbclid=IwAR2a3ru4HafoX3IeH0QAd13TVPTxl-oPfAaHQHP83sEjLLpQaaoZ4ToYgaM
Of course I'm banned from posting on streetsblog because alternative opinions are unwelcome.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 05, 2021, 08:11:13 PM
Surprise surprise the anti car nuts are afoot and NO MORE LANES signs have quickly been spotted by Joe Linton and his crew of heroes that are going to rid the world of freeways and save this planet one lane removal at a time.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/01/01/downey-freeway-fighters-hang-no-more-lanes-banner-over-5-freeway/?fbclid=IwAR2a3ru4HafoX3IeH0QAd13TVPTxl-oPfAaHQHP83sEjLLpQaaoZ4ToYgaM
Of course I'm banned from posting on streetsblog because alternative opinions are unwelcome.
Remember: what the anti-car nuts really want is control over our lives.
Quote from: kernals12 on January 19, 2021, 03:41:50 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 05, 2021, 08:11:13 PM
Surprise surprise the anti car nuts are afoot and NO MORE LANES signs have quickly been spotted by Joe Linton and his crew of heroes that are going to rid the world of freeways and save this planet one lane removal at a time.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/01/01/downey-freeway-fighters-hang-no-more-lanes-banner-over-5-freeway/?fbclid=IwAR2a3ru4HafoX3IeH0QAd13TVPTxl-oPfAaHQHP83sEjLLpQaaoZ4ToYgaM
Of course I'm banned from posting on streetsblog because alternative opinions are unwelcome.
Remember: what the anti-car nuts really want is control over our lives.
I wouldn't entirely disagree but also argue they want the world conformed to their likings. I was browsing through Caltrans District 7's website last night and noticed they really have no say in projects and what gets chosen. It's all up to local MPOs and transit authorities which is incredibly stupid as it prevents Caltrans from embarking on regional or statewide projects for infrastructure. Caltrans has been neutered by the state of California.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 19, 2021, 08:56:37 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on January 19, 2021, 03:41:50 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 05, 2021, 08:11:13 PM
Surprise surprise the anti car nuts are afoot and NO MORE LANES signs have quickly been spotted by Joe Linton and his crew of heroes that are going to rid the world of freeways and save this planet one lane removal at a time.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/01/01/downey-freeway-fighters-hang-no-more-lanes-banner-over-5-freeway/?fbclid=IwAR2a3ru4HafoX3IeH0QAd13TVPTxl-oPfAaHQHP83sEjLLpQaaoZ4ToYgaM
Of course I'm banned from posting on streetsblog because alternative opinions are unwelcome.
Remember: what the anti-car nuts really want is control over our lives.
I wouldn't entirely disagree but also argue they want the world conformed to their likings. I was browsing through Caltrans District 7's website last night and noticed they really have no say in projects and what gets chosen. It's all up to local MPOs and transit authorities which is incredibly stupid as it prevents Caltrans from embarking on regional or statewide projects for infrastructure. Caltrans has been neutered by the state of California.
I would argue that Caltrans by it's very nature is a neutered version of what was Division of Highways.. The agency having a largely unfocused role and no substantial pull is engrained into it's very essence since it was created in 1972. It's not hard to look back at the 1960s and not see a downsizing of the Division of Highways coming looking back through the CHPWs.
That said, some Caltrans Districts seem to have more pull than others in terms of regional transportation needs. Locally D6 I would even argue has made massive improvements in the last couple years modernizing the highway infrastructure along with new development.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2021, 09:39:58 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 19, 2021, 08:56:37 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on January 19, 2021, 03:41:50 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 05, 2021, 08:11:13 PM
Surprise surprise the anti car nuts are afoot and NO MORE LANES signs have quickly been spotted by Joe Linton and his crew of heroes that are going to rid the world of freeways and save this planet one lane removal at a time.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/01/01/downey-freeway-fighters-hang-no-more-lanes-banner-over-5-freeway/?fbclid=IwAR2a3ru4HafoX3IeH0QAd13TVPTxl-oPfAaHQHP83sEjLLpQaaoZ4ToYgaM
Of course I'm banned from posting on streetsblog because alternative opinions are unwelcome.
Remember: what the anti-car nuts really want is control over our lives.
I wouldn't entirely disagree but also argue they want the world conformed to their likings. I was browsing through Caltrans District 7's website last night and noticed they really have no say in projects and what gets chosen. It's all up to local MPOs and transit authorities which is incredibly stupid as it prevents Caltrans from embarking on regional or statewide projects for infrastructure. Caltrans has been neutered by the state of California.
I would argue that Caltrans by it's very nature is a neutered version of what was Division of Highways.. The agency having a largely unfocused role and no substantial pull is engrained into it's very essence since it was created in 1972. It's not hard to look back at the 1960s and not see a downsizing of the Division of Highways coming looking back through the CHPWs.
That said, some Caltrans Districts seem to have more pull than others in terms of regional transportation needs. Locally D6 I would even argue has made massive improvements in the last couple years modernizing the highway infrastructure along with new development.
I wonder if D7 has any pull at all or if they're just completely useless in any real planning of infrastructure maintenance and expansion. Maybe their focus is more on maintaining current infrastructure and overseeing expansion proposals by MPOs. I really wonder what their role is and if it just adds unnecessary bureaucracy.
Personally I'd prefer to move closer to the days of Division of Highways albeit less control but still having authority to plan regional and statewide road projects with the MPOs assisting. But I know that's a pipe dream currently so part of me wonders if it would be more efficient for districts like D7 that seemingly have little to no pull to just be absorbed by the MPOs.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 19, 2021, 10:21:12 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2021, 09:39:58 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 19, 2021, 08:56:37 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on January 19, 2021, 03:41:50 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 05, 2021, 08:11:13 PM
Surprise surprise the anti car nuts are afoot and NO MORE LANES signs have quickly been spotted by Joe Linton and his crew of heroes that are going to rid the world of freeways and save this planet one lane removal at a time.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2021/01/01/downey-freeway-fighters-hang-no-more-lanes-banner-over-5-freeway/?fbclid=IwAR2a3ru4HafoX3IeH0QAd13TVPTxl-oPfAaHQHP83sEjLLpQaaoZ4ToYgaM
Of course I'm banned from posting on streetsblog because alternative opinions are unwelcome.
Remember: what the anti-car nuts really want is control over our lives.
I wouldn't entirely disagree but also argue they want the world conformed to their likings. I was browsing through Caltrans District 7's website last night and noticed they really have no say in projects and what gets chosen. It's all up to local MPOs and transit authorities which is incredibly stupid as it prevents Caltrans from embarking on regional or statewide projects for infrastructure. Caltrans has been neutered by the state of California.
I would argue that Caltrans by it's very nature is a neutered version of what was Division of Highways.. The agency having a largely unfocused role and no substantial pull is engrained into it's very essence since it was created in 1972. It's not hard to look back at the 1960s and not see a downsizing of the Division of Highways coming looking back through the CHPWs.
That said, some Caltrans Districts seem to have more pull than others in terms of regional transportation needs. Locally D6 I would even argue has made massive improvements in the last couple years modernizing the highway infrastructure along with new development.
I wonder if D7 has any pull at all or if they're just completely useless in any real planning of infrastructure maintenance and expansion. Maybe their focus is more on maintaining current infrastructure and overseeing expansion proposals by MPOs. I really wonder what their role is and if it just adds unnecessary bureaucracy.
Personally I'd prefer to move closer to the days of Division of Highways albeit less control but still having authority to plan regional and statewide road projects with the MPOs assisting. But I know that's a pipe dream currently so part of me wonders if it would be more efficient for districts like D7 that seemingly have little to no pull to just be absorbed by the MPOs.
Caltrans for what it's worth seems to be whatever regional interests want them to be. In regards to urban districts like D7 they certainly seem to be handcuffed beyond maintaining the status quo. It seems that most of major highway developments as of late come from the rural Districts, especially in areas seeing rapid expansion.
If the corridor needs additional capacity, couldn't they do what they did on the Interstate 110 Harbor Freeway, and elevate the new lanes over the existing roadway? That way the additional capacity could be added without the need to expand the existing right-of-way. And to make sure the new lanes don't get congested, make them toll lanes that are congestion priced.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 20, 2021, 03:17:44 PM
If the corridor needs additional capacity, couldn't they do what they did on the Interstate 110 Harbor Freeway, and elevate the new lanes over the existing roadway? That way the additional capacity could be added without the need to expand the existing right-of-way. And to make sure the new lanes don't get congested, make them toll lanes that are congestion priced.
That would be very expensive.
Gateway COG will have a presentation today about the new, lower footprint plan: http://www.gatewaycog.org/media/userfiles/subsite_9/files/committees/2021/91-605-405-tech-advisory/FINAL%20DRAFT%20CMP%2011_23_20%20v2.pdf
I can't see plans with any home takes passing in this environment.
Which is ridiculous as long as the property owners are properly compensated.
They built 4,000 units of replacement housing for the people displaced by the Century Freeway, why can't they build 200 units for the people who would be displaced by this?
Edit: LA County lost 40,000 people last year, that's almost 20,000 homes left vacant.
Remember there's a housing crisis with 1.4 million units that need to be planned for by 2030, though, per the Newsom administration. There's domino effects of displacement, etc., even if everyone in the path of the freeway would be paid much more over fair market value (to account for moving costs) and do better than a partial take that brings the freeway 10-15 closer to their yards.
Quote from: fungus on January 26, 2021, 10:29:53 PM
Remember there's a housing crisis with 1.4 million units that need to be planned for by 2030, though, per the Newsom administration. There's domino effects of displacement, etc., even if everyone in the path of the freeway would be paid much more over fair market value (to account for moving costs) and do better than a partial take that brings the freeway 10-15 closer to their yards.
That's not true anymore, now that California's population is, according to the census bureau, declining.
Because of the overcrowding in homes that is driving people out. Again, it's internally inconsistent for one state agency to claim that there is a 1.4 million home shortage in *Southern California* and another to take out 100-200 perfectly fine homes in an urbanized area. Which is why I don't think any full takes will be acceptable in this political environment.
(Also, the lead organizer against the freeway, Alex Contreras, has a day job at California YIMBY, which stated goal is to encourage the construction of more homes by eliminating zoning restrictions like single family home zones.)
I can totally understand someone in Southern California who has owned his/her home for a long time not wanting to take "fair market value" for the property and move to make way for a freeway expansion. The fair market price might not be nearly enough to find a comparable place to live in the same region.
Housing costs and living costs overall are just too freaking high in many parts of California. So that is creating considerable pressure for many young adults to literally move out of the state in order to move out of their parents' homes. It's either that or they continue living in Mom and Dad's house, get married, have kids (if they can afford the cost of having children) and then have three generations living in the same home.
Some older adults are leaving for various reasons, one of which is selling their homes for a relatively high price and then moving to another region in the US with lower living costs where you can buy a lot more house for the same money. Some businesses and well-off adults are looking to re-locate to escape high taxes.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic forced a lot of businesses and individuals to try out "tele-commuting" -aka, working from home. Many found out it wasn't all that bad. Decent quality high speed Internet (speeds of 30 megabits per second or better) is more widespread across the nation. Many modest sized cities have at least some ISP service with 250Mb/s or higher speeds. These conditions are allowing some businesses to think outside of the box on where they're located.
I would imagine the overall death toll of COVID-19 in the US is going to have at least some effect on the real estate market. At the current pace, the US will hit 500,000 COVID-19 deaths pretty easily before the end of February. The toll could eventually top 600,000 by Summer (especially if the pace of vaccinations doesn't pick up and/or we see more SARS-CoV-2 variants). The nation has had a lot of other "excess deaths." The suicide rate is up. Drug overdose deaths hit a record. Anyway, the point of this morbid paragraph is the real estate market needs lots of living human buyers to keep itself afloat. If too many people are dying or moving away that sure won't shore up demand levels to keep those prices insanely high. Extreme cost of living locations, like much of California, New York City and other absurdly costly areas of the nation may be due for one hell of a price correction.
It will be interesting to see how much enthusiasm the anti-roads folks can sustain in certain areas of California if the real estate market and other parts of the regional economy collapse into the toilet in response to the outrageous prices.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 20, 2021, 03:17:44 PM
If the corridor needs additional capacity, couldn't they do what they did on the Interstate 110 Harbor Freeway, and elevate the new lanes over the existing roadway? That way the additional capacity could be added without the need to expand the existing right-of-way. And to make sure the new lanes don't get congested, make them toll lanes that are congestion priced.
There are currently no inside shoulders in the project area - it's repurposed into HOV lanes. Even the elevated option would require expansion to fit the bridge pillars in some places.
Quote from: fungus on January 27, 2021, 12:03:32 AM
Because of the overcrowding in homes that is driving people out. Again, it's internally inconsistent for one state agency to claim that there is a 1.4 million home shortage in *Southern California* and another to take out 100-200 perfectly fine homes in an urbanized area. Which is why I don't think any full takes will be acceptable in this political environment.
(Also, the lead organizer against the freeway, Alex Contreras, has a day job at California YIMBY, which stated goal is to encourage the construction of more homes by eliminating zoning restrictions like single family home zones.)
There are plenty of places that are just one rezoning away from solving Southern California's housing shortage. They're not going to need the La Brea oil fields much longer if everyone's driving electric cars, and that land has excellent freeway access with that Laurel Canyon stub. The federal government could close down Pendleton. Ventura County could rezone its farmland. And there's plenty of open space in San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.
That's space for millions of people.
Quote from: kernals12 on January 27, 2021, 09:51:32 AM
Quote from: fungus on January 27, 2021, 12:03:32 AM
Because of the overcrowding in homes that is driving people out. Again, it's internally inconsistent for one state agency to claim that there is a 1.4 million home shortage in *Southern California* and another to take out 100-200 perfectly fine homes in an urbanized area. Which is why I don't think any full takes will be acceptable in this political environment.
(Also, the lead organizer against the freeway, Alex Contreras, has a day job at California YIMBY, which stated goal is to encourage the construction of more homes by eliminating zoning restrictions like single family home zones.)
There are plenty of places that are just one rezoning away from solving Southern California's housing shortage. They're not going to need the La Brea oil fields much longer if everyone's driving electric cars, and that land has excellent freeway access with that Laurel Canyon stub. The federal government could close down Pendleton. Ventura County could rezone its farmland. And there's plenty of open space in San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.
That's space for millions of people.
I agree that rezoning probably could do a lot to solve the housing shortages. Upzoning is a thing, and it is happening, but way too slowly to keep up with demand. The oil fields are an environmental situation that would take decades to mitigate before the first shovel could be turned for residential development. Same for Camp Pendleton, if the experience from other base closures are any indication. The agricultural land in Ventura County is probably the only location where it's even remotely feasible, but the production value of that land is so high that even that is not a foregone conclusion. You are right, the exurbs of the Inland Empire counties will continue to grow, as that is the only real escape valve for SoCal's housing demand.
Quote from: jdbx on January 27, 2021, 03:58:44 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on January 27, 2021, 09:51:32 AM
Quote from: fungus on January 27, 2021, 12:03:32 AM
Because of the overcrowding in homes that is driving people out. Again, it's internally inconsistent for one state agency to claim that there is a 1.4 million home shortage in *Southern California* and another to take out 100-200 perfectly fine homes in an urbanized area. Which is why I don't think any full takes will be acceptable in this political environment.
(Also, the lead organizer against the freeway, Alex Contreras, has a day job at California YIMBY, which stated goal is to encourage the construction of more homes by eliminating zoning restrictions like single family home zones.)
There are plenty of places that are just one rezoning away from solving Southern California's housing shortage. They're not going to need the La Brea oil fields much longer if everyone's driving electric cars, and that land has excellent freeway access with that Laurel Canyon stub. The federal government could close down Pendleton. Ventura County could rezone its farmland. And there's plenty of open space in San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.
That's space for millions of people.
I agree that rezoning probably could do a lot to solve the housing shortages. Upzoning is a thing, and it is happening, but way too slowly to keep up with demand. The oil fields are an environmental situation that would take decades to mitigate before the first shovel could be turned for residential development. Same for Camp Pendleton, if the experience from other base closures are any indication. The agricultural land in Ventura County is probably the only location where it's even remotely feasible, but the production value of that land is so high that even that is not a foregone conclusion. You are right, the exurbs of the Inland Empire counties will continue to grow, as that is the only real escape valve for SoCal's housing demand.
To expand upon what's been said regarding closing Camp Pendleton: Fort Ord was closed in 1994. Some of the land is in the hands of the CSU system (CSU Monterey Bay); some land is part of a state park, and some more land is Fort Ord National Monument. Among all of that, there is about 7500 acres of land that is still being cleaned up by the US Army, with a supposed finish date of 2026.
And that's in a county with, maybe, 500K people.
Quote from: fungus on January 26, 2021, 10:29:53 PM
Remember there's a housing crisis with 1.4 million units that need to be planned for by 2030, though, per the Newsom administration. There's domino effects of displacement, etc., even if everyone in the path of the freeway would be paid much more over fair market value (to account for moving costs) and do better than a partial take that brings the freeway 10-15 closer to their yards.
I presume Gavin Newsom is also aware, due to 336K Covid deaths in the US in 2020, that the number of births and the number of deaths in 2020 are likely at or near the same number. Not to mention, due to Covid border restrictions that are being more enforced by Mexico than the US, that immigration (of all kinds) has slowed to a mere fraction of previous years. Put the two together, and it's very likely California may see losing population years in 2021 and 2022.
So be sure to take that 1.4 million needed housing units by 2030 with a whole shakerful of salt.
The population in the United States has been growing steadily for many decades. I think lawmakers and business people are not counting on population growth to ever slow down, hence the predictions of housing shortages. A new "baby bust" in the US appears to be flying under the radar. If this new trend sustains itself for the long term it will create all kinds of problems. Anti-immigration policies will compound those problems. The real estate market would end up being pretty messed up, much more than it is now.
The total fertility rate in the United States has been plummetting since the Great Recession in the mid 2000's. The rate is now down to 1.7 children per female. Prior to 2005 the rate had been hovering in the 2.0-2.2 kids per female level since the early 1970's. The "replacement rate" (births to offset deaths) is 2.2 children per female. Birth rates have fallen below the replacement rate level for American born women of all races.
For over 45 years all of the net population gains in the United States have come via immigration. New residents come to this country and immigrants have historically had higher birth rates. But now even that is changing. Birth rates are dropping even for immigrants. The high costs of health care, housing, day care, education and other trappings of parenthood all add up to one hell of an effective birth control pill.
For the past 30+ years there has been tremendous growth in building large, single family homes with really high price points. The direction where the US is currently headed with its demographics could see a lot of those "McMansions" sitting empty and unsold or even bulldozed. We'll still have housing shortages, but the shortages will be in housing units with smaller foot prints and more affordable price levels. That will force a lot more co-habitation to happen (multiple room mates, multiple generation households). Single adults without kids is one of the fastest growing demographics. Americans on average are waiting longer to get married and have kids. More are opting out of that whole deal.
I think it's pretty clear California's real estate market is in a price bubble ready to pop.
That's the point of the housing though, as there is an existing need. Out of the 1.34 million housing units the state said non-San Diego Southern California had to zone for, 504,970 of those homes are projected need (population growth). The other 836,857 is existing need, which reflects current overcrowding, people who are unhoused, and people who currently exist that want to form new households but can't do so (i.e. get married and have kids, or consequently want to get divorced and exit their existing household).
https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/scag-final-rhna-methodology-030520.pdf?1602189316
Quote from: kernals12 on January 27, 2021, 09:51:32 AM
Quote from: fungus on January 27, 2021, 12:03:32 AM
Because of the overcrowding in homes that is driving people out. Again, it's internally inconsistent for one state agency to claim that there is a 1.4 million home shortage in *Southern California* and another to take out 100-200 perfectly fine homes in an urbanized area. Which is why I don't think any full takes will be acceptable in this political environment.
(Also, the lead organizer against the freeway, Alex Contreras, has a day job at California YIMBY, which stated goal is to encourage the construction of more homes by eliminating zoning restrictions like single family home zones.)
There are plenty of places that are just one rezoning away from solving Southern California's housing shortage. They're not going to need the La Brea oil fields much longer if everyone's driving electric cars, and that land has excellent freeway access with that Laurel Canyon stub. The federal government could close down Pendleton. Ventura County could rezone its farmland. And there's plenty of open space in San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.
That's space for millions of people.
Desert space, mostly -- with more than a few time-and-dollar-consuming commutes of 35-40+ miles to reach employment centers. Prior to the 2007 housing bust, the last housing developments featuring sub-$175K units were in such far-flung areas as north Lancaster (in the L.A. county "sphere") and Adelanto (providing "affordble" housing for workers from the distribution centers of Ontario and Fontana). But that temporal bust, lasting well through 2012 and resulting in desert housing tracts simply stopping in mid-build, has made parties from all over the map -- planners as well as developers -- take a good hard look at the "endless expansion" concept -- as much from a fiscal standpoint as a socioeconomic one. The farther one builds out into the desert, the more supporting infrastructure is required -- utilities, water provision, etc. -- and the expenses of providing such rise accordingly. And with 24/7 shifts at most distribution facilities, the corridor -- in the case of the Adelanto area just northwest of Victorville, I-15 over Cajon Pass, has multiple congestion "nodes" that not only increase commute time but make commercial-traffic egress in and out of greater L.A. increasingly problematic. Bottom line -- there's no free, or even cheap, lunch to be had by simply placing housing where there is few or none currently. In addition, the decimation of the sub-prime market -- one of the principal causes of the '08 recession -- has meant that even the relatively inexpensive housing units out in the desert are once again beyond the means of many of the lower-paid employees in the distribution/warehousing field. Without a substantial and continuous influx of potential buyers, there's no incentive for developers to venture farther into desert territory (many of these desert cities are attempting to engage in "infill", especially in regards to multi-unit housing, to try to attract new residents over a broad income range).
But in relation to this particular thread -- housing has never been a fully fungible item --
largely because of location. One wouldn't expect someone displaced by freeway expansion in Pico Rivera or Downey to simply relocate to an outlying area just because the housing may be somewhat less costly; other social and economic factors figure in to the equation. Displacement often results in a person or family having to choose between suboptimal choices -- selecting the least noxious or even marginally acceptable one -- but still having to undergo uprooting!
Lots of people are just not in any financial position to move. Normally in order to sell a house it's kind of expected for the home owner to sink a bunch of money into renovations even if those "upgrades" don't end up paying for themselves.. In the case of a freeway expansion that burden of doing renovations is lifted.
Still the home owner is getting only so much money for the property. People who have owned their homes for many years may find the "fair market" money the state is willing to pay for their old house isn't enough to buy housing in the same neighborhoods where they lived, much less in the same city or same region.
The cost of commuting in the LA region is pretty high. Gasoline prices in SoCal are among the highest in the nation. If someone gets displaced out of town and across the San Gabriel Mountains to towns like Victorville or Lancaster they're going to face a really long commute. Commuter rail service is pretty limited out there. Faced with that kind of hardship anyone who has to pull up stakes and move may decide to move to an entirely different part of the country. Oklahoma isn't exactly the greatest place to live, but the cost of living is lower. You can get a lot more house for the money here. Gasoline prices are among the lowest in the country. And traffic, even in places like Oklahoma City, isn't soul-crushing bad.
Quote from: Bobby5280 on January 29, 2021, 12:31:25 PM
Lots of people are just not in any financial position to move. Normally in order to sell a house it's kind of expected for the home owner to sink a bunch of money into renovations even if those "upgrades" don't end up paying for themselves.. In the case of a freeway expansion that burden of doing renovations is lifted.
Still the home owner is getting only so much money for the property. People who have owned their homes for many years may find the "fair market" money the state is willing to pay for their old house isn't enough to buy housing in the same neighborhoods where they lived, much less in the same city or same region.
The cost of commuting in the LA region is pretty high. Gasoline prices in SoCal are among the highest in the nation. If someone gets displaced out of town and across the San Gabriel Mountains to towns like Victorville or Lancaster they're going to face a really long commute. Commuter rail service is pretty limited out there. Faced with that kind of hardship anyone who has to pull up stakes and move may decide to move to an entirely different part of the country. Oklahoma isn't exactly the greatest place to live, but the cost of living is lower. You can get a lot more house for the money here. Gasoline prices are among the lowest in the country. And traffic, even in places like Oklahoma City, isn't soul-crushing bad.
In October 2017, my best friend, who is a huge Elvis fan, and me, took a trip from Oregon to Memphis with I-40 getting the E/W use on the way over. That let us pass through Oklahoma, where to my surprise I found the nicest people ever. The Sooner State weather is not as good as the Oregon Coast but for quality of folks, Oklahoma is way more than OK. If it was just the kind of people present leading me to decide where to live, I would choose Oklahoma.
Rick
Quote from: Bobby5280 on January 29, 2021, 12:31:25 PM
Lots of people are just not in any financial position to move. Normally in order to sell a house it's kind of expected for the home owner to sink a bunch of money into renovations even if those "upgrades" don't end up paying for themselves.. In the case of a freeway expansion that burden of doing renovations is lifted.
Still the home owner is getting only so much money for the property. People who have owned their homes for many years may find the "fair market" money the state is willing to pay for their old house isn't enough to buy housing in the same neighborhoods where they lived, much less in the same city or same region.
The cost of commuting in the LA region is pretty high. Gasoline prices in SoCal are among the highest in the nation. If someone gets displaced out of town and across the San Gabriel Mountains to towns like Victorville or Lancaster they're going to face a really long commute. Commuter rail service is pretty limited out there. Faced with that kind of hardship anyone who has to pull up stakes and move may decide to move to an entirely different part of the country. Oklahoma isn't exactly the greatest place to live, but the cost of living is lower. You can get a lot more house for the money here. Gasoline prices are among the lowest in the country. And traffic, even in places like Oklahoma City, isn't soul-crushing bad.
What commuter rail service? Metrolink currently doesn't extend their primary service over Cajon Pass; it terminates at the San Bernardino depot (although at the time I moved north eight years ago, they were in the initial stages of planning a Redlands extension). BNSF, which owns 2 of the three tracks crossing Cajon (and the only two heading straight into the populated area of Hesperia & Victorville) is reluctant to allow Metrolink use of its trackage due to the fact that they currently run about 30-35 time-sensitive freights daily per direction over the pass, and don't want to have to rearrange their schedules to accommodate commuter service, even only single-direction during peak periods (mornings south/evenings north). Proponents from the area have suggested three stations: Hesperia/Main Street, Hesperia/Victorville/Bear Valley Road, and downtown Victorville at the present Amtrak depot. Back about 2011 BNSF countered with a proposal that would add a third "runaround" track in the depot areas with signaling modification for such (similar to the arrangement at Corona) -- plus another one near the Cajon summit, built at Metrolink expense, but with dispatch priority to freights; the cost of that approached $100M. Metrolink balked, particularly at the freight prioritization, which meant that if a freight train moving in the direction of Metrolink travel was right behind the commuter train (and trust me, the freights haul ass northbound/downhill; I used to live a block from the tracks), it would have to wait for the freight to clear before moving away from the station. Uphill/south, not that much of a problem; conversely the trains are moving quite slowly -- slow enough that a commuter train would have sufficient time to load passengers and scoot away before any freight was even close. The gist of the whole thing is that BNSF didn't want to alter their rather full schedule in any way; Metrolink, as an "interloper" would be the party doing any accommodation. So far, that particular impasse has continued and that part of the high desert continues to do without commute rail service.
Quote from: sparkerWhat commuter rail service? Metrolink currently doesn't extend their primary service over Cajon Pass; it terminates at the San Bernardino depot (although at the time I moved north eight years ago, they were in the initial stages of planning a Redlands extension).
There is a metrolink line that goes to Lancaster. That's technically on the other side of the big mountain range. But there is nothing in terms of commuter rail service farther east going through Cajon Pass to places like Victorville, despite Amtrak having a stop in Victorville. Basically there is a whole lot of territory not served by rail. The vast majority of people living North of the San Gabriel Mountains would have to commute down into the LA region by car.
There is a rail line, IIRC, through the Cajun pass but it's other inactive or only used for freight. They really need to expand that track through there to 4 tracks to support passenger and freight rail.
PS, I don't think this is fantasy but when are they building the 710 extension under the LA National Forest via tunnel with rail? :bigass: :bigass:
Sparkler, I have seen indications by NDOT that work for the Victorville-LV "high-speed- rail has physical pieces under construction. If that is that case then I'd expect even with a HDC rail initiative to be complemented by a Cajun Rail Pass expansion or I'd hope. It's certainly incentive me to use it even if it takes a bit longer. I'm NOT a fan of leaving my car in garages for days at a time when I'm out of town. Plus I actually look forward to driving the section of I-15 from Victorville to LV. Not really excited to get out of my car when the road finally starts moving at the speed limit so I can get on a train LOL.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 30, 2021, 01:56:28 AM
Sparkler, I have seen indications by NDOT that work for the Victorville-LV "high-speed- rail has physical pieces under construction. If that is that case then I'd expect even with a HDC rail initiative to be complemented by a Cajun Rail Pass expansion or I'd hope. It's certainly incentive me to use it even if it takes a bit longer. I'm NOT a fan of leaving my car in garages for days at a time when I'm out of town. Plus I actually look forward to driving the section of I-15 from Victorville to LV. Not really excited to get out of my car when the road finally starts moving at the speed limit so I can get on a train LOL.
That particular project is a privately-financed venture that is being planned with the support of Caltrans -- principally because much of it will be in the median of I-15 rather than "piggyback" on the existing UP line northeast of Barstow, which is quite indirect due to topology. It has nothing to do with commuter needs in the other direction over Cajon, the issues with which I addressed in a previous post here. Right now, partially due to COVID, Metrolink ridership is down, so any service expansion is effectively on hold for the near term. But even when things return to some semblance of "normal", the issues regarding a service extension over Cajon Pass will remain and are likely to be at an impasse until either the substantial level of funding required to implement such service is identified and budgeted, and the parties involved arrive at some sort of agreement regarding how to blend 70 freight movements per day with commute needs. So far the sticking points have yet to be ironed out -- but the likelihood of that being accomplished in the next few years is decidedly dim.
Quote from: sparker on January 29, 2021, 06:24:07 PM
What commuter rail service? Metrolink currently doesn't extend their primary service over Cajon Pass; it terminates at the San Bernardino depot (although at the time I moved north eight years ago, they were in the initial stages of planning a Redlands extension).
Not relevant to the thread. But they are building the Redlands extension (https://www.redlandscommunitynews.com/news/government/redlands-passenger-rail-project-is-half-finished/article_bd6dac8a-cd02-11ea-8ad8-cbe7e42cbb07.html). I've detoured around the construction a few times on the east side of San Berdoo but didn't know that it was going to run to Redlands until you mentioned it and I found this article.
The article also mentions the Vegas rail being built, but it's nothing I haven't seen elsewhere.
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 05:55:22 PM
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
A lot of these freeway projects were proposed 15 years ago, when LA was still growing at a healthy clip. Now that it's shrinking, the NPV of them is a lot lower
Quote from: kernals12 on May 06, 2022, 10:26:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 05:55:22 PM
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
A lot of these freeway projects were proposed 15 years ago, when LA was still growing at a healthy clip. Now that it's shrinking, the NPV of them is a lot lower
I'm not really sure that's the reason these projects are being shelved/canceled.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 10:39:22 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on May 06, 2022, 10:26:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 05:55:22 PM
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
A lot of these freeway projects were proposed 15 years ago, when LA was still growing at a healthy clip. Now that it's shrinking, the NPV of them is a lot lower
I'm not really sure that's the reason these projects are being shelved/canceled.
They built the Century Freeway, they could build this if they had the money. I'm sure lots of rail projects will suffer the same fate
Quote from: kernals12 on May 07, 2022, 07:28:13 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 10:39:22 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on May 06, 2022, 10:26:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 05:55:22 PM
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
A lot of these freeway projects were proposed 15 years ago, when LA was still growing at a healthy clip. Now that it's shrinking, the NPV of them is a lot lower
I'm not really sure that's the reason these projects are being shelved/canceled.
They built the Century Freeway, they could build this if they had the money. I'm sure lots of rail projects will suffer the same fate
There has been a huge budget surplus the last two years, the state is far from broke. It just depends on where money is being allocated.
Quote from: kernals12 on May 07, 2022, 07:28:13 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 10:39:22 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on May 06, 2022, 10:26:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 05:55:22 PM
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
A lot of these freeway projects were proposed 15 years ago, when LA was still growing at a healthy clip. Now that it's shrinking, the NPV of them is a lot lower
I'm not really sure that's the reason these projects are being shelved/canceled.
They built the Century Freeway, they could build this if they had the money. I'm sure lots of rail projects will suffer the same fate
I just don't think there's much political will to expand freeways right now. I bet we see the rail projects completed with little to no issues. After we see the series of I-5 widenings wrap up that'll be it other than a few small projects here and there. I also think Metro and Caltrans are going to lay low on freeway expansions while they complete the I-5 Santa Clarita project and the 71 Gap(which the urbanists have been bitching about). Not sure about the 71 project but I believe the I-5 Santa Clarita Valley project won't open until 2026 and I wouldn't be surprised to see that delayed a year or two per usual.
What was planned in LA county for new freeways or freeway widenings(or any project that potentially adds lanes) was the 605 with a small segment of I-5 at the I-605 interchange, CA-60 from downtown to I-605, CA-91 in a few short segments mainly just aux lanes and some GP lanes here and there, I-710, I-405 South Bay curve, and then the 105 and 405 express lane projects which clips potentially add a new lane each way albeit tolled and minimal freeway footprint widening. Then you have the high desert freeways which propose to construct a new tolled freeway from CA-14 to I-15(potentially I-10 one day) and converting CA-138 to a freeway.
It'll be interesting to see how many of those actually happen. Traffic counts are not going down. Metro population is increasing. Some LA commuter towns had the fastest growth in the country, population is not shrinking contrary to popular belief. I-605, I-710, High Desert Corridor, have all been placed "on hold." I'm skeptical metro will do little more than simply convert the HOV to a tolled lane like the crap they're doing in the Bay Area instead of adding a second lane each way so there's two tolled lanes. Both are alternatives for the 105/405 HOT lane projects.
You have dozens of transit projects like the Downtown Connector, Crenshaw Line, Van Nuys LRT, Airport People Mover, North Hollywood to Pasadena BRT, Foothill Gold Line, all U/C, about to open or, start construction. Then you have multi billion dollar initiatives like Metros plan to expand and improve its Metrolink commuter train operations, it's inner city rail system with multi billion dollar projects like the Santa Ana Branch Corridor, the Sepulveda pass line, the green extension to Torrence, east side gold line, north San Fernando valley BRT, orange line LRT conversion, Inglewood people mover, dodgers stadium gondola, north Crenshaw extension...
Not to mention one's metro is trying to identify funding for like extending the future Sepulveda pass line to LAX, extending the green line east to the metrolink Norwalk station, building a subway under Vermont, building new light rail along CA-60 corridor pointing east, light rail/BRT along the beach cities/Lincoln BLVD area, extending the red line further north to the Burbank airport, extending the red line south west to the arts district, tunneling more of the existing expo line around downtown, building HSR from Lancaster to Victorville, and I'm they are going to have to pitch in for the LA county portion of CAHSR if they want to see it done before the end of this century.
I'm also sure I'm forgetting several projects but you get the picture. The government here is focused on alternative transit. Not it's a bad thing but they don't seem the least bit interested in expanding car capacity. I have spoken to metro, LA county public works, I've been arguing with the director of the LA BSS because they blocked me from Twitter just for disagreeing with them, all of these people including those are Caltrans seem more interested in mass transit caring very little if anything about roads and freeways.
Found this article (https://www.yahoo.com/now/bid-stop-freeway-expansions-california-120019058.html) in my Yahoo News feed. It was originally in the LA Times, but that's paywalled and this isn't.
Quote
A bid to stop freeway expansions in California hits a roadblock: Organized labor
Liam Dillon, Ben Poston, Rachel Uranga
Fri, May 6, 2022, 5:00 AM
After more than 60 years and 15,000 miles of highway and interstate construction in California, momentum is growing to end the state's freeway expansion era.
Top state transportation officials recently pulled the plug on a $6-billion interstate widening in L.A. County and are pledging to funnel billions of dollars toward mass transit and road repairs. Multiple state lawmakers want to do the same, including one proposal that would prohibit freeway expansions in underserved communities across California, an effort that would be the first of its kind in the country.
Supporters of this approach cite freeways' legacy of displacement and pollution in Black and Latino communities, the need to fight climate change and research showing that widening freeways in cities doesn't ultimately ease congestion.
No longer will the state add freeway lanes solely to allow more cars and trucks to use them, said Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, which oversees the state's transportation network.
"That is the past," Omishakin said. "We cannot do projects like that moving forward."
Yet the efforts to end California's embrace of freeways face opposition from a powerful group: trade unions. Labor leaders contend that limiting freeway widening overestimates the state's ability to transition from an automobile-centered culture and does so at the expense of good-paying jobs.
"We're not the organization of 'no' when it comes to climate change. We're the organization of 'slow,'" said Joseph Cruz, executive director of the California State Council of Laborers. "Put a plan together where you make the other transportation opportunities available before you talk about shutting down freeways."
Cruz's group and other labor organizations are against the most aggressive plan to stymie freeway expansion, Assembly Bill 1778, written by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), which would block freeway widening in areas of the state with high levels of pollution and poverty.
See rest of article at link
Thanks for posting that. I figured the I-605 project would suffer the same fate as the 710. Damn shame. I have many emails to write. I hope people in California start waking up and realizing these politicians proposing these anti freeway crap don't have any other plans than wait 50 for a train like to be built.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 07, 2022, 01:25:36 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on May 07, 2022, 07:28:13 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 10:39:22 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on May 06, 2022, 10:26:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on May 06, 2022, 05:55:22 PM
Well it appears after some vocal opposition similar to the I-710 south enhancement project this one too is now "on hold."
QuoteStatus
Metro and Caltrans are working with the Gateway Cities Council of Government to develop a detailed Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for this project.
The PA & ED phase is on hold due to Metro Board motion and will resume after further approval from the Metro Board.
https://www.metro.net/projects/i-605-corridor-improvement-project/
A lot of these freeway projects were proposed 15 years ago, when LA was still growing at a healthy clip. Now that it's shrinking, the NPV of them is a lot lower
I'm not really sure that's the reason these projects are being shelved/canceled.
They built the Century Freeway, they could build this if they had the money. I'm sure lots of rail projects will suffer the same fate
I just don't think there's much political will to expand freeways right now. I bet we see the rail projects completed with little to no issues. After we see the series of I-5 widenings wrap up that'll be it other than a few small projects here and there. I also think Metro and Caltrans are going to lay low on freeway expansions while they complete the I-5 Santa Clarita project and the 71 Gap(which the urbanists have been bitching about). Not sure about the 71 project but I believe the I-5 Santa Clarita Valley project won't open until 2026 and I wouldn't be surprised to see that delayed a year or two per usual.
What was planned in LA county for new freeways or freeway widenings(or any project that potentially adds lanes) was the 605 with a small segment of I-5 at the I-605 interchange, CA-60 from downtown to I-605, CA-91 in a few short segments mainly just aux lanes and some GP lanes here and there, I-710, I-405 South Bay curve, and then the 105 and 405 express lane projects which clips potentially add a new lane each way albeit tolled and minimal freeway footprint widening. Then you have the high desert freeways which propose to construct a new tolled freeway from CA-14 to I-15(potentially I-10 one day) and converting CA-138 to a freeway.
It'll be interesting to see how many of those actually happen. Traffic counts are not going down. Metro population is increasing. Some LA commuter towns had the fastest growth in the country, population is not shrinking contrary to popular belief. I-605, I-710, High Desert Corridor, have all been placed "on hold." I'm skeptical metro will do little more than simply convert the HOV to a tolled lane like the crap they're doing in the Bay Area instead of adding a second lane each way so there's two tolled lanes. Both are alternatives for the 105/405 HOT lane projects.
You have dozens of transit projects like the Downtown Connector, Crenshaw Line, Van Nuys LRT, Airport People Mover, North Hollywood to Pasadena BRT, Foothill Gold Line, all U/C, about to open or, start construction. Then you have multi billion dollar initiatives like Metros plan to expand and improve its Metrolink commuter train operations, it's inner city rail system with multi billion dollar projects like the Santa Ana Branch Corridor, the Sepulveda pass line, the green extension to Torrence, east side gold line, north San Fernando valley BRT, orange line LRT conversion, Inglewood people mover, dodgers stadium gondola, north Crenshaw extension...
Not to mention one's metro is trying to identify funding for like extending the future Sepulveda pass line to LAX, extending the green line east to the metrolink Norwalk station, building a subway under Vermont, building new light rail along CA-60 corridor pointing east, light rail/BRT along the beach cities/Lincoln BLVD area, extending the red line further north to the Burbank airport, extending the red line south west to the arts district, tunneling more of the existing expo line around downtown, building HSR from Lancaster to Victorville, and I'm they are going to have to pitch in for the LA county portion of CAHSR if they want to see it done before the end of this century.
I'm also sure I'm forgetting several projects but you get the picture. The government here is focused on alternative transit. Not it's a bad thing but they don't seem the least bit interested in expanding car capacity. I have spoken to metro, LA county public works, I've been arguing with the director of the LA BSS because they blocked me from Twitter just for disagreeing with them, all of these people including those are Caltrans seem more interested in mass transit caring very little if anything about roads and freeways.
That's not true. LA, Ventura, and Orange Counties are all shrinking.
Speaking of which, Orange County's got some big freeway expansion plans.
And politics can change.
It is true though
QuoteThe current metro area population of Los Angeles in 2022 is 12,488,000, a 0.23% increase from 2021.
The metro area population of Los Angeles in 2021 was 12,459,000, a 0.1% increase from 2020.
https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/23052/los-angeles/population
I agree with you politics can and hopefully will change. The suburban growth is the best: https://abc7.com/amp/2020-us-census-results-population-changes-southern-california-urban/10947942/
Metro has announced they are going to move forward with this project without taking any homes. They will still be widening the freeway and adding interchange improvements.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2023/07/19/metro-announces-605-freeway-widening-project-will-have-not-demolish-homes
A major rehabilitation project is commencing: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/10/04/get-ready-for-big-605-freeway-project-from-long-beach-to-san-gabriel-heres-what-is-coming/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=fb-dailybreeze&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR3IMIh4JFKPZ6vv4XX04kHPOEqMjbnNqCeQHpLl74dLUA0ks0LQhlaGfM8_aem_AVUpL4JGnTrdDVheIMozfqy9fX4xl7UQ7HMWbFQQ6GoS9P3EL1NC0Za6AL-F2dgTVTE
The article is paywalled. I am interested in reading the story, but have no interest in signing up for Daily Breeze.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on October 06, 2023, 01:45:00 PM
The article is paywalled. I am interested in reading the story, but have no interest in signing up for Daily Breeze.
Try this https://ktla.com/news/local-news/officials-announce-298-million-to-rehabilitate-605-freeway-in-socal/
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on October 06, 2023, 01:45:00 PM
The article is paywalled. I am interested in reading the story, but have no interest in signing up for Daily Breeze.
State and local transit officials and leaders on Wednesday, Oct. 4, kicked off a major freeway project along Interstate 605, designed to enhance the corridor from Los Alamitos to the San Gabriel Valley.
The $298.3 million, multi-phased effort — dubbed the Super 605 Freeway Enhancement Project — aims to improve overall ride quality along the route while bolstering safety for drivers and for state highway workers.
The new pavement itself will extend the life of the roadway from Long Beach to the San Gabriel Valley for up to 40 years, officials said.
"I-605 is a major artery for residents of the Gateway cities and the San Gabriel Valley and is a vital resource for commuters and the movement of goods throughout Southern California," said District 7 Director Gloria Roberts. "Made possible by federal funding and continued support from SB 1, these projects will also lengthen the service life of this key thoroughfare."
The project is broken in into three segments.
In Segment 1, from Katella Avenue in Los Alamitos/Long Beach to Telegraph Road in Santa Fe Springs, Caltrans crews will replaced distressed pavement and concrete slabs, rehab 96 "lane miles" of pavement, upgrade curb ramps, replace signage and stripes and build in an in-roadway warning light system where the off-ramps from southbound I-605 meet the Spring St. bridge bicycle lanes. The project begins this fall and planned completion in early 2028.
In Segment 2, from the I-10 to the I-605 terminus north of I-210, similar improvements will be made, but upgrades will also include pedestrian upgrades at on- and off-ramps, and upgrades to six traffic signals. Construction will also include eight new vehicle maintenance pullouts, more than 12,000 linear feet of guardrail and the replacement of 27 overhead sign structures. It gets going in the fall and anticipated completion is fall 2026.
In Segment 3, Telegraph Road in Santa Fe Springs to I-10 is set to begin in spring 2024, and construction will include 93 lane miles of new pavement, upgrading more than 16,000 linear feet of guardrail and replacing 16 overhead sign structures. The project also includes 53 acres of landscaping and stormwater improvements to help prevent trash and other pollutants from draining into the San Gabriel River. Anticipated completion in early 2030, according to Caltrans.
The third segment is the most expensive, at $181.6 million.
But all told, Caltrans officials say the improved corridor is a needed investment.
Funding comes from $273.2 million in the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and more than $23.2 million from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and $1.98 million from the state's State Highway Operation and Protection Program.
Officials point to major injections of transportation funding as generator of jobs and better transit. According to the state, California has had $22.5 billion announced in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. Of that, $15.57 billion is dedicated to transportation-related projects, $4.72 billion is meant for clean energy, power, and environment projects, $2.14 billion is for broadband projects, and $36.84 million is for other projects.
The total number of jobs created in the state since May, because of the funding is 47,992, according to the state.
"Caltrans is aggressively upgrading and rebuilding our infrastructure in California, including pavement rehabilitation on major interstate routes that transport goods and connect local communities," said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. "The department and our federal partners are making a significant investment to rebuild and maintain our state transportation system."
Most of the repaving on the 605 segments will happen at night, but motorists can expect occasional daytime and weekend closures, officials said Wednesday.
Caltrans will provide updates to the project schedules that affect travel to the public in advance.
As thousands of commuters each day along the 605 know, the corridor runs through through dozens of cities from just north of the 405 Freeway and Long Beach to the San Gabriel Valley. Along the way cities nearby include Cerritos, Bellflower, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Downey, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Whittier, Baldwin Park, Duarte and San Gabriel.
Against a backdrop of the 605 itself, Wednesday's kickoff to the project included Caltrans District 7 Director Gloria Roberts, who join officials from the Federal Highway Administration, the CHP, state Sen. Bob Archuleta and Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva.