710 Tunnel Study Meeting Wrapups:
FRIDAY UPDATE on comment with extensive links 2


FRIDAY UPDATE: BillW sent in an analysis of the project, together with several key links, in his comment below. He also let readers know about an organization with a website already set up to oppose the 710 tunnel: http://communitiesagainst710.com/ .

Separately, KChristieH has set up a Facebook page for those opposed to the Tunnel Project.

THURSDAY’S POST:I wasn’t able to attend the 710 Tunnel Study Session yesterday at the Glendale Public Library, but the Glendale News Press reports that those who attended were for the most part opposed to the project.

Many La Canada/Pasadena area residents attended the Tuesday community meeting, and a local blogger’s report on that meeting, with additional comments, is here.

KChristieH calls for networking and united action against the tunnel and raises the obvious question on everyone’s mind: Why now, when the state says it has no money?


2 thoughts on “710 Tunnel Study Meeting Wrapups:
FRIDAY UPDATE on comment with extensive links

  • BillW

    All major US highway projects used to be funded by gasoline taxes. The gas taxes went into a trust fund to be used only for highway construction. This all changed during the Clinton administration, when the gas tax money was shifted to other areas, leaving inadequate funding for future proposed projects. The model since then has been to have a public/private partnership (P3) fund major highway projects, in exchange for toll revenues. For a description of the proposed financial plan, see: http://www.usc.edu/schools/sppd/keston/documents/710FinancingCharretteFinalReport_001.pdf

    The emphasis is all on maximizing the capacity of an important regional goods-movement corridor. This project isn’t about making life easier for commuters in passenger cars. It’s about creating a direct path for heavy-duty diesel trucks from the Port of Los Angeles to go either east or west on the 210.

    You will note that large Wall St. firms like JP Morgan, will end up owning and deriving all toll revenue from the tunnel for the next 40 years or so, while the taxpayers get stuck with the bill for the EIR and the design. Proposed tolls are $5 to $10 per vehicle.

    The Parsons Brinkerhoff Route 710 Tunnel Technical Feasibility Report (mentioned on page 4 of the Keston report) is here:

    http://www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us/transportation/PDFs/710_final_report.pdf

    HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:

    The Keston report notes that enabling legislation is necessary, both to authorize a revenue-supported project, and to enable the P3 for financing and operation. Which brings us to SB 1350, authored by Gil Cedillo. Here is the text of the bill:
    http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1301-1350/sb_1350_bill_20080617_amended_asm_v98.pdf

    Here is the history of the bill:
    http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1301-1350/sb_1350_bill_20080624_history.html

    Here is the legislative analyst’s opinion:
    http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1301-1350/sb_1350_cfa_20080620_121943_asm_comm.html

    SB 1350 does the following:

    a) It makes legislative findings that a design-build procurement method for development of the project will reduce project costs, expedite project completion, and provide design features not otherwise obtainable via a traditional design-bid-build procurement method. It explicitly provides that Metro may use a design-build procurement method for the project. In other words, there will be NO competitive bidding process.

    b) It prescribes the details of a standard questionnaire that Metro is to use to evaluate design-build proposals and it exempts these completed questionnaires from public disclosure under the Public Records Act. The public is completely out of the loop.

    Existing California law does not generally allow the use of design-build procurement for highways, and does not provide general authority to impose tolls or to enter into P3 agreements for public highways.

    An organization already set up to oppose the 710 tunnel is here:

    http://communitiesagainst710.com/

    Anyone interested in opposing this project, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the documents linked to above!

    Also, if you want to see how the existing 4 toll roads in Orange County are doing, start here:

    http://www.ocweekly.com/2007-05-03/news/toll-road-to-ruin/

  • editor Post author

    Bill,

    Thanks for the extensive background and all the links. Taxpayers need every bit of information they can get to protest public funds used to underwrite private business investments and large projects that end up as major headaches for the community. Please note that a local blogger has also set up a Facebook page for those opposed to the Tunnel: http://www.kchristieh.com/blog/?p=1322.

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