A Promise Kept as Negotiations Yield Strong Anti-710 Freeway Bill Help for Tenants, Non-Profits & Post Freeway Actions Included in Portantino’s SB 7

Friday, August 30 2019

Sacramento, California – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D- La Canada Flintridge) proudly announced that SB 7 passed the State Assembly Appropriations Committee today and is one step away from the Governor’s desk.  The final legislative outcome is the culmination of a promise that the Senator made to the activists, non-profits, and tenants in the 710 corridor. This bill is the result of negotiations Senator Portantino initiated in December 0f 2016 which came to a final conclusion this week.  The three-year, three step plan Portantino and the Administration set in motion for ending the threat of the 710 Freeway Tunnel laid out the following actions:

  1. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority would first approve the TSM-TDM local transportation plan as the preferred alternative to the tunnel.
  2. The final certified Environmental Impact Report would reflect MTA’s action and adopt the TSM-TDM as the preferred alternative for the 710 corridor.
  3. Senator Portantino would wait until the first two actions occurred and then would author legislation to formally prevent the construction of the tunnel, remove the 710 freeway from the streets and highways code, lay the foundation for resolution of the stubs, and help tenants in the corridor.

“I am very grateful to the Brown and Newsom Administrations for helping to define this plan and for negotiating the final bill amendments to make it happen.  During every step of this journey, everyone did what they promised to do.  When SB 7 is signed by the Governor, generations who have been fighting this freeway can rest in peace knowing that they made this day happen and that the freeway will never get completed.  Many people worked collaboratively to get us to this place, giving moral support for those of us in office and providing the runway to let this 60-year-old plane land,” commented Senator Portantino.

For the past 20 years, Senator Portantino has been one of the strongest opponents of the freeway’s completion.  He promised residents that upon his election to the State Senate he would make ending the tunnel threat a top priority.  Today’s action fulfils that promise.

“We are extremely grateful to our Senator for putting the final nail in the 710 tunnel’s coffin.  He has been by our side for two decades; he kept our group calm over these last three years, and he followed through on his promise to have a legislative solution to compliment Metro’s action and the certified EIR.  When SB 7 is signed we can all finally sigh in relief,” commented Claire Bogaard, No 710 Action Committee.

In addition to the ending the tunnel threat, SB 7 helps the non-profit tenants in the 710 corridor purchase their properties in a fiscally prudent manner; something long sought by the Ronald McDonald House, Arlington Garden, Cottage Nursery and Sequoia School.   Multiple representatives from the non-profits traveled to Sacramento several times offering testimony in support of SB 7.

“We are over the moon that we are one step away from having the ability to purchase our properties and keep them serving our community.  Our Senator heard our needs and responded in earnest to help us.  It’s a very positive day that will only be matched when the Governor signs the bill,” commented Megan Foker, Pasadena Ronald McDonald House.

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek participated in the final negotiations ensuring that the bill had strong language for ending the freeway threat and that Pasadena has the flexibility in the future to negotiate for the freeway stubs not needed by the obsolete freeway plan. 

“It will be a new day in Pasadena when the 710 freeway is history.  SB 7 ensures that outcome and helps all of us turn our attention to solving local traffic needs, raising the funding necessary to purchase the non-profit properties, and brings some relief to tenants in Caltrans’ affordable rent program.  For as long as I can remember, Senator Portantino has been dogged in his efforts to fight the 710-tunnel threat and he fulfilled his promise,” added Mayor Tornek.

SB 7 is expected to pass the Assembly floor and subsequently go to the Governor’s desk for a final action.  Given that the final amendments to SB 7 were created through negotiations with the Newsom Administration, there is optimism that the bill will garner the Governor’s signature. 

“I am so grateful to the freeway fighters from South Pasadena who took me on a tour in 1998 of the 710 corridor and shared their fight with me. The Avenue 64 & El Sereno activists and leaders from Pasadena, Glendale, La Canada Flintridge and Sierra Madre broadened the coalition to create an immovable force to pull the San Gabriel Valley into a new and positive direction.  In the end, many of those who supported the 710 for decades worked collaboratively to bring us to this point in time,” concluded Senator Portantino.

Sen. Portantino represents nearly 930,000 people in the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, Atwater Village, Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Lake View Terrace, La Verne, Los Feliz, Monrovia, Montrose, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.