BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 811
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Date of Hearing: August 30, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 811 (Lara) - As Amended: August 19, 2013
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:12-4
Natural Resources 6-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill imposes additional requirements on the environmental
review for the Interstate 710 (I-710, or Long Beach Freeway)
corridor project. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires Caltrans, as the lead agency on the project, to
consider, within the environmental review process,
alternatives to address the air quality, public health, and
mobility impacts that the project could have on neighboring
communities.
2)Specifically requires that "Community Alternative 7," in its
entirety, be studied in the environmental review as a complete
project alternative. "Community Alternative 7" is defined as
an alternative infrastructure plan developed by a coalition of
community partners that was submitted for consideration to
Caltrans in response to the first draft environmental review
document for the project.
3)Requires the approved environmental review document to include
an investment in identified mitigation measures where there
are impacts to affected communities and the Los Angeles River.
4)At least 90 days prior to approving the environmental document
for the proposed project requires the lead agency to submit to
the project committee a report that describes the identified
mitigation measures and community benefits that will be
included in the project.
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5)Makes legislative declarations stating, in part, that I-710
alternatives should provide improvements to the communities
housing the project, including:
a) Improvements to the Los Angeles River.
b) Bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and public transit
infrastructure and operations.
c) Improvements to conditions at sensitive sites, such as
schools, homes, elder care facilities, and homeless care
facilities.
FISCAL EFFECT
Caltrans indicates that, in its current environment review
process, it is taking into account all the design elements in
Alternative 7 that impact the project. Due to consideration of
factors like those listed in (5) above, the scope of Alternative
7 goes beyond actual project mitigation measures most likely
needed. Caltrans estimates evaluation of these additional
measures will increase environmental review costs by $3 million
to $5 million dollars above the base cost, which is estimated at
$45 million to $50 million.
Funding for the above is $10 million in state and local State
Transportation Improvement Program funds (50/50 split) with the
remainder from local sales tax (Prop. C) funds.
COMMENTS
1)Background. An environmental review is currently underway to
study the I-710 corridor project, which is a vital
transportation artery in southern California, linking the
Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to southern California and
beyond. The existing I-710 corridor has excessive health risks
related to high levels of diesel particulate emissions,
traffic congestion, high truck volumes, high accident rates,
and many obsolete design features.
The project study area extends for 18 miles from the
waterfront ports to the Pomona Freeway and encompasses 15
cities and unincorporated areas adjacent to the freeway.
According to the author, this would be one of the nation's
largest public works projects, with costs estimated at three
to five billion dollars for the various options.
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The objectives of the project environmental review are to
develop transportation alternatives that will (a) improve air
quality and public health, (b) improve mobility, congestion,
and safety; and (c) assess alternative, green goods movement
technologies. The project is in the early stages of
environmental review. A first draft of the environmental
review document was released last year. After significant
public input, Caltrans is working on a second draft, to be
released sometime next year.
In May, the I-710 project committee, an advisory body
comprised of elected officials from the I-710 corridor project
communities and the project's funding partners, voted to
include "Community Alternative 7" in the recirculated draft
environmental document. "Community Alternative 7" is
supported by health and community advocates as a package of
solutions that, taken together, could meet the project's
objectives as well as have positive community benefits to
communities along the corridor.
2)Purpose . According to the author, "The proposed I-710 widening
project will have adverse public health, air quality, and
quality of life impacts on residents throughout the corridor -
from East Los Angeles to Long Beach. Among the residents
impacted are some of the state's most vulnerable communities
including children, seniors, and low-income families?This bill
will make certain the concern, comments and ideas vetted
through the project advisory boards including: councilmembers,
community members and technical planners are actually
considered as possible build options in the new EIR document?"
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081