Gripes : Freeway Will Ruin a ‘Cultural Gem’

I moved here to South Pasadena last year with my family. I grew up in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, East Coast cities that bear their unique cultural stamp because preservation of historic towns, buildings and neighborhoods is an integral part of the civic agenda. Without it, the cities would be faceless monoliths with no sense of character or distinction. These cities, despite their many problems, have also made mass transit a cornerstone in their urban planning.

Why is it then, I wonder, that our state government in all its wisdom tries to put a massive freeway through this genuine throwback of a town, a charming commodity of short order in Southern California? Why not a train or a subway? Now that California has finally escaped the dying clutches of the Michigan auto industry and is taking a few steps in the right direction of public transportation--Metrolink, Metrorail, the Blue Line--why not continue the trend, move people en masse and reduce smog, gridlock and death by traffic accident?

Building more freeways is a poor investment in the future of Southern California, particularly in this time of fiscal crisis, and so is ruining cultural gems like South Pasadena.