710 Freeway
* I am a real estate developer with projects in Pasadena and South Pasadena. The Federal Transportation Commission and the California Department of Transportation argue that my projects would benefit from the 710 Freeway extension. They say that this new freeway will add value to my residential buildings by allowing residents to get to downtown Los Angeles quicker. Unfortunately, it is this conventional wisdom that has nearly destroyed Southern California’s communities.
Freeways actually diminish value, ruining neighborhoods by further segregating our community. The Santa Monica Freeway sucked the life out of the neighborhoods along Wilshire, Olympic and Pico boulevards. The Foothill Freeway has given an ugly swath to otherwise beautiful neighborhoods of La Canada-Flintridge and Pasadena. The 710 extension will further erode communities.
A viable alternative to the 710 expansion is the Blue Line extension. This is a project that should be green-lighted immediately, giving people another option for their commute to work--a clean and efficient rapid transit system.
MICHAEL L. DIEDEN
Los Angeles
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