Nevermind that the 30 year vision of regional transportation includes bridging the San Fernando Valley with the L.A. Basin via rail or rapid transit, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is dreaming of a two-story 405 freeway. Speaking yesterday at a press conference celebrating the massive 405 car pool lane project that recently began, he said " hopefully, eventually, we will build on top of the 405 Freeway because I think we need another freeway on top of the existing one." For L.A. Streetsblog writer Damien Newton, that statement and the subsequent news coverage has him peeved:
As you would expect, both the Daily News and KTLA [...] are silent on the amazing environmental damage the construction and usage of an extra four lanes of 405 would bring to the area and the state. If you don't have a chance to watch KTLA's coverage, reporter Jesse Gray seems a mix of whimsical and incredulous about the prospect; but ends with a wish that it happen in his lifetime. And naturally, there's no mention of the Governor's plan to bankrupt transit agencies throughout the state at the same time he's proposing ANOTHER massive freeway project for an area already choking in its own traffic. Let's not even talk about the report released earlier this week showing that living near freeways leads to hardened arteries.
According to the Long Range Transportation Plan, predicted costs of of bringing public transit to the Sepulveda Pass are based on building a light rail train, funded by Measure R. But don't get too excited, plans call for it to be completed by 2039.
