BILL ANALYSIS
SB 545
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 6, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Mike Eng, Chair
SB 545 (Cedillo) - As Amended: June 30, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 38-0
SUBJECT : Route 710: tunnel
SUMMARY : Prohibits the Interstate 710 (I-710) freeway gap
closure project from being constructed as a surface or
above-grade highway. Specifically, this bill :
1)Modifies the terms of an exception to existing law that
otherwise requires the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to secure a freeway agreement with a city or county
prior to constructing a freeway if construction requires
closure of local streets; as modified, the exception only
applies to a segment of freeway that consists solely of a
subsurface transportation facility.
2)Specifically provides that the subsurface transportation
facility must be a tunnel with the alignment to be determined
by Caltrans after completion of environmental studies.
3)Provides that cut and cover construction technology may be
used only at the entrance and exit portals and the portals are
not to encroach upon the City of South Pasadena; provides,
however, that cut and cover maybe used where needed for tunnel
ventilation structures, emergency exits, and any other
required mitigation measures.
4)Statutorily declares that I-710 between Valley Boulevard in
the City of Los Angeles and Del Mar Boulevard in the City of
Pasadena will not be a surface or above-grade highway.
EXISTING LAW:
5)Requires Caltrans to enter into a freeway agreement with
affected cities and counties before a freeway is constructed,
if construction of the freeway requires the closing of one or
more local streets.
6)Provides an exception from the freeway agreement requirement
SB 545
Page 2
for the I-710 freeway gap closure project by authorizing
Caltrans to build that freeway without signing a freeway
agreement, as long as specified conditions are met, including:
a) The freeway in included in the California freeway and
expressway system;
b) Construction has commenced, but not been completed,
leaving a gap between the construction portions of the
freeway;
c) In addition to the adopted route, there is at least one
feasible alternate route;
d) A draft environmental impact report or statement has
been prepared on the unconstructed portion of the freeway;
and,
e) An agreement with or more counties and cities is not
possible because of an impasse.
7)Generally restricts the use of state transportation funds to
improvements on, or in support of, the state highway system,
intercity rail, mass transit guideways, or grade separation
projects.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown; however, the Senate Appropriations
Committee analysis points out that a bored tunnel is likely the
most costly option for constructing this project (compared to
any surface or above-grade project). To the extent that this
bill removes the possibility that this project could be
constructed using a less expensive option, this bill would
create cost pressures potentially in the hundreds of millions of
dollars.
Measure R, a thirty-year local transportation sales tax approved
by Los Angeles voters last November, dedicated $780 million for
the freeway gap closure tunnel project, estimated by Los
Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to
cost $3.8 billion to construct.
COMMENTS : I-710 is a major north-south interstate freeway
running 23 miles through Los Angeles County. The freeway runs
from Long Beach to Alhambra, stopping short of the originally
SB 545
Page 3
planned terminus in Pasadena. Construction of the segment
between Alhambra and Pasadena, through South Pasadena, has been
delayed for decades due to community opposition.
Failure to complete the I-710 contributes to traffic congestion
in northeastern Los Angeles and the northwestern San Gabriel
Valley, as there are no north-south freeways in the heavily
populated area between I-5 (Golden State Freeway) and I-605 (San
Gabriel River Freeway). Over the past forty years, alternative
concepts have been proposed and evaluated to complete the I-710
freeway and close the 4.5-mile gap in the corridor. To date,
none of the previously proposed and evaluated alternatives have
been successful in satisfying the regional mobility needs and
community/environmental concerns. The alternatives considered
traversed through highly developed urbanized neighborhoods and
required a substantial volume of right of way along the
alignments.
Many members of the community were concerned with the impact of
right of way-intensive, surface alternatives and consequently,
opposed the extension of the I-710. In response to this
reaction, and to lessen the potential impact of completing the
I-710, a tunnel concept was proposed for assessment as a
potential option to the surface alternatives.
This bill will effectively eliminates the ability of Caltrans to
build a surface-route project to complete the freeway gap
closure by: 1) limiting the exception to the freeway agreement
requirement to a subsurface project only; and, 2) defining this
segment of I-710 as a subsurface route, thereby effectively
precluding the use of state funds on a surface project. (The
state does not have general authority to use transportation
funds off the state highway system.)
Metro has completed the feasibility assessment of a tunnel
alternative to extend the I-710 from its current terminus at
Valley Boulevard in the City of Los Angeles to I-210 in the City
of Pasadena. Generally, the study concluded that the tunnel
concept is feasible. Potential environmental impacts were
identified, however, preliminary assessments concluded that
these impacts could be minimized, eliminated or mitigated. The
report concluded that no insurmountable environmental issues
were identified that would preclude further consideration of the
tunnel alternative. Based on this, proponents argue that
further study is warranted and that the tunnel concept should be
SB 545
Page 4
advanced to the next more detailed stage to further validate the
findings of this assessment and to determine whether the tunnel
concept can ultimately serve as the alternative to complete the
I-710.
According to the author, he has introduced this bill to fulfill
"a commitment made to the City of South Pasadena that would
ensure that there would never be a surface-route solution for
710 corridor."
Previous legislation: AB 2321 (Feuer), Chapter 302, Statutes of
2008, authorized the placement of Measure R before voters in Los
Angeles County. Measure R provides initial funding for the
I-710 project.
AB 1623 (M. Martinez), Chapter 117, Statutes of 1982, authorized
the exception to the freeway agreement requirement, under
certain conditions.
AB 2556 (D. Martinez), Chapter 1234, 1993 Statutes, eliminated
deadlines for complying with conditions previously imposed by AB
1623.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093