Important Los Angeles infrastructure projects at risk if Yes on Prop 6 passes.
When the report came early in 2018 that Los Angeles freeways once again topped the list of national locations with the worst traffic congestion for the sixth year in a row, its prevalent that funding for Los Angeles infrastructure projects is a necessity. In Southern California, clogged freeways are infamous. With a portion of SB 1 funds directed toward Los Angeles infrastructure, improvements seemed to be on the horizon. Proposition 6 could, however, put a huge crimp in that promise for a better commute.
Los Angeles freeways ready to get moving
SB 1 has often been called a “road bill” because the vast majority of the funds are devoted to roadway maintenance. It is true that funds from SB 1 will help repair and improve miles of roads, including repaving 205 miles of Highway 1 from the Los Angeles/Orange County line to Redondo Beach; resurfacing nearly 7 miles of I-5 between I-605 and Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles; and 104 miles of pavement improvements on I-605 from the Los Angeles/Orange County line to Telegraph Road.
SB 1 will also be used to address infrastructure needs for all forms of transportation. Over the next 10 years, the $4.4 billion in funding for Los Angeles is slated to go toward other projects beyond the freeway. If the gas tax goes away, however, it will delay or even scrap projects like the Green Line extension to the South Bay and the Gold Line to Montclair. Other public transportation that would be impacted include Airport Metro Connector 96th Street Transit Station connecting LAX to regional transit, expanded bus routes and improved signal and track modernization for Metrolink and Amtrak trains arriving and departing Los Angeles Union Station.
Road safety a priority for LA’s future
While improved Los Angeles freeways and more public transportation options are helpful toward a better commute, SB 1 funds are vital for infrastructure to make safe travel for Californians, no matter how they get around. For example, some safety projects around Los Angeles include a pedestrian pathway in Calabasas, new pedestrian ramps on Burbank sidewalks for disabled access, and improvements along Pico Boulevard to improve safety and connectivity along one of Santa Monica’s highest collision areas.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, 5.5 percent of bridges in California are rated structurally deficient. A total of 25 percent of bridges show significant deterioration or do not meet current design standards and 17 percent are functionally obsolete. To address bridge infrastructure issues in Los Angeles, money from the gas tax will go toward repairs to the San Gabriel River Bridge on I-405 and toward lowering the roadway or replacing 10 bridges to meet vertical clearance or truck load capacity standards on I-5 in Glendale.
Learn more about Prop 6
The passage of The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 is vital source of funding for infrastructure in Los Angeles and around the entire state of California. If progress is to be made to improve freeways and mass transit, funding for much-needed repairs and upgrades must be addressed. Until SB 1, the gas tax hadn’t been raised in 23 years. Learn more about the impact of SB 1 in the Los Angeles area and why it is so important to vote NO on Prop 6 this November.
