Letter: Developments’ costs outweigh benefits in Glendale

I would like to propose an ease on apartment complex development. It has caused incredible traffic in the city of Glendale, and in turn more air pollution. The city of Glendale can only handle so much housing.

Glendale drivers crash more frequently than other California cities in the “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report.” Drivers in Glendale have the highest car insurance compared to 210 California cities. There are higher insurance rates because vehicles are more involved in fatal car crashes and road traffic accidents.

An estimated 3,800 apartment units in 21 different projects are coming. Residents are concerned the construction will cause worse traffic on the 5 and 2 freeways, especially during peak hours. A 142-unit complex called the Link was approved by the City Council, stating their grand project would not have a grand impact on traffic on the 5 and 2 freeways. “That one project, by itself, the traffic impact seems to be minimal, but when you add up what’s planned, then it might be significant, then it might be different,” Caltrans project manager Elmer Alvarez told the News-Press in 2014.

Alvarez predicts that “new developments in Glendale, as well as other in the region, could strain traffic on the freeways and it could take decades for state agencies to get enough money to fix the problems.”

A single driver in Glendale pays $1,823 in auto insurance coverage, compared to a Los Angeles driver who pays $1,623. In San Francisco, a single driver pays $1,355 annually. Auto insurance is determined through a variety of factors that include years of driving experience, driving record and location of where the car is garaged. More apartment developments will increase traffic and probably collision rates in Glendale.

Why should the public have to pay more for the sake of new buildings?

Rachel Melikian

Glendale