BILL ANALYSIS
SB 545
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 545 (Cedillo)
As Amended September 4, 2009
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :38-0
TRANSPORTATION 10-0 APPROPRIATIONS 13-4
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|Ayes:|Eng, Blumenfield, |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, |
| |Buchanan, Furutani, | |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| |Galgiani, | |Davis, |
| |Bonnie Lowenthal, Miller, | |Fuentes, Hall, Miller, |
| | | |John A. Perez, |
| |John A. Perez, Solorio, | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| |Torlakson | |Torlakson, Hill |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Nielsen, |
| | | |Audra Strickland |
| | | | |
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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)Provides, specifically, 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, the portals are
not to encroach upon the City of South Pasadena, and the
northern portal is not to be constructed south of Palmetto
Drive in the City of Pasadena; provides, however, that cut and
cover may be used where needed for tunnel ventilation
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structures, emergency exits, and any other required mitigation
measures.
4)Declares, statutorily, 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
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)Restricts, generally, 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 : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, a bored tunnel is likely the most costly option for
constructing this project (compared to a cut and cover, surface
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or above-grade project). To the extent this bill removes the
possibility of using a feasible and less expensive option, this
bill creates cost pressures potentially in the hundreds of
millions of dollars. (It should be noted, however, that
numerous other options have been explored and rejected over
several decades.)
(Measure R, a 30-year local transportation sales tax approved by
Los Angeles voters last November, dedicated $780 million for the
freeway gap closure tunnel project. Caltrans indicates that
preliminary estimates of project costs for constructing a tunnel
to close the I-710 gap are approximately $6 billion to $8
billion.)
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
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
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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.)
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 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
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.
Analysis Prepared by : Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
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FN: 0002952