Tonight’s 710 Freeway Extension Forum Could Ignite Emotions Anew

Public emotions could rise anew as Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Madison sponsors an informational forum tonight regarding the 710 Freeway project currently under study by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro).

The meeting will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, in the Ballroom, west of the Civic Auditorium building to accommodate a larger audience.

The public forum comes after the Pasadena City Council rejected in August the proposed freeway extension into the San Gabriel Valley as an estimated 550 Pasadena residents attended a special meeting with regional transportation officials.

The Pasadena City Council rejected three alternative proposals: A tunnel under Avenue 64 that would connect the 710 to the 134 Freeway, a highway replacing Avenue 64 and a highway that would start at the 710, run through Huntington Drive and Fair Oaks Avenue to the 210 in Pasadena.

While the proposed freeway extension will likely decongest traffic near the end of the 710 Freeway in Alhambra as it will connect two important local freeways, the positioning of the exact route is controversial because it could mean razing homes.

Madison reminded local residents that the forum would focus on the tunnel, light rail and bus alternative for the Pasadena Avenue and Fair Oaks corridors. He said he is expecting a large crowd tonight thus the larger venue.

Scheduled to speak during the forum are several experts who will share information and answer residents’ concerns about the project. Panelists slated to appear include a geophysicist, a historic preservationist, a neurologist and several Metro representatives. Short statements from panelists will be followed by questions collected from the audience.

“Pasadena continues to closely monitor the situation regarding Metro’s 710 Freeway project. This forum will help answer residents’ questions and provide important information about how the routes may impact our quality of life,” Madison said.

Free parking for attendees is available on nearby streets. Parking at Paseo Colorado also is free for the first 1.5 hours with validation and for a $5 flat fee at the Convention Center Garage.

For more information, the public can contact Councilmember Madison’s Field Representative, Takako Suzuki, at tsuzuki@cityofpasadena.net or by phone at (626) 744-4739.

This meeting will be taped for later broadcast on KPAS, the City’s government access cable television station, on Channel 3, for Charter cable subscribers, and on Channel 99 for AT&T U-verse subscribers.