Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
MARCH 1, 2018
Preamble
Motion by:
SOLIS, GARCIA, RIDLEY-THOMAS, BUTTS, NAJARIAN, AND HAHN
Related to Item 5: I-710 South Corridor Project
Local communities along the I-710 freeway are plagued with life-threatening health ailments resulting from traffic-related pollution in the corridor. As such, communities have been united and explicitly clear that existing conditions are simply unacceptable and they demand and deserve relief. Nevertheless, gaining consensus on a Locally Preferred Alternative for the I-710 South Corridor Project has been incredibly challenging due to limited right of way, public health concerns and sensitivities surrounding environmental and social justice issues.
After years of vigorous scientific environmental impact analysis, multiple engineering design variations, extensive community outreach, and thoroughly exploring all feasible alternatives, Metro staff has concluded that Alternative 5C is the most viable and cost-effective solution to maximize regional benefits related to safety, mobility, health and the environment while minimizing impacts to local communities. However, the air quality benefits proposed by Alt. 5C are largely contingent on substantial funding becoming available to deploy near-zero and zero-emission trucks to reduce pollutants such as diesel particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and others. Moreover, the regional mobility benefits rely on the assumption that passenger vehicle trips are transferred to the mainline freeway versus utilizing local arterials and residential streets, which helps alleviate "cut-through traffic" in surrounding communities. Unless these assumptions materialize the primary goals of this project may not come to fruition. It may be prudent to take a more modest approach to improving the I-710 South corridor.
An Alt. 5C Early Action Program presents an opportunity to utilize programmed funding to sequence and complete smaller scale projects ove...
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