SAN MARINO REJECTS 710 FREEWAY PLAN

Instead of completing the 710 freeway from Valley Blvd in Alhambra all the way to the 210, Metro is now proposing a host of projects for local streets to carry traffic from the end of the 710 to the 210.

Metro is offering San Marino $32 million to widen Huntington Drive through our city that will increase traffic.  These projects have adverse effects on our community: safety of our children, air quality and most importantly our quality of life in our tranquil City of San Marino.

The prevailing speed on Huntington through San Marino is now up to 48 mph with a posted limit of 40 mph.  Metro estimates the speed limit would increase 16% to 56 mph aided by synchronized traffic lights and a widened Huntington Drive.

There are 6 schools (4 public, 1 parochial and 1 private) along Huntington Drive.  Do we want cars speeding through at 56 mph during the start and end of school periods? NO!  This is a danger to students who walk or bike to school.

With that many more cars speeding through, the additional exhaust pollution will affect the air in and around San Marino.  The added noise and more difficult parking along Huntington Drive affect our safety and quality of life.  We like our quiet, tranquil City; and want to keep it that way.

Remember the 2011 “Carmageddon” $1 Billion Westside 405 Sepulveda Pass Widening project?  Caltrans has conceded that commute times are now longer than before the project due to even more cars on the widened 405 section through Sepulveda Pass.

Metro Senior Executive Abdollah Ansari is quoted as saying “This money is only good for capacity enhancements, operational improvements, traffic synchronizations, items that pass the traffic through and not traffic calming measures”

The 710 PLAN and its projects BENEFIT DRIVERS SPEEDING THROUGH San Marino.  NO BENEFITS for the tranquil City of San Marino and its citizens.

This petition is to demand that the City Council DO NOT accept any 710 Plan and funding for our City that adversely affects our safety and quality of life.  

The direction of OUR City should be decided by its taxpaying citizens and not by anyone else.  

By signing this petition, we are letting  the City Council know that we DO NOT want any 710 Plan in San Marino or changes to our streets to accommodate more cars passing through our City.