East-bound Traffic on Valley at Fremont (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
On Wednesday, May 19, the City of Alhambra is sponsoring “Advancing Alhambra, a long-term plan for Alhambra’s major roads” virtual community meeting, where the public can “learn more and share their input” about the City’s plans to upgrade its four freeway access points.
By Melissa Michelson
Last year, on June 8, 2020, Gibson Transportation Consulting presented recommendations for constructing new on- and off-ramps at the 10 freeway at Fremont, Atlantic and Garfield, and converting the historically controversial 710 freeway stub “from a six-lane freeway into a four-lane arterial street between the I-10/I-710 interchange and Valley Boulevard.” This 2021 meeting is part of its mandated study sessions to gather public feedback before moving on to the next stage in the process, which (if approved by the City Council) is projected to be constructed by Fall 2027.
The public can sign up for the May 19, 2021 6:00 pm Zoom community webinar on traffic solutions at this link.
Henry Aviles, an Alhambra Transportation Commissioner and resident who has lived a few blocks from the busiest part of Fremont Avenue for the past 28 years, says the “information is only as good as the data that is provided by the contractor. Nothing is going to reduce the number of automobiles…. Is it going to help with The Villages [traffic]? I don’t think so. Density is equated to more automobiles. That’s not going to change whichever way they want to spin it.”
The website devoted to this project (advancingalhambra.org) is in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese. It includes links to the consultant’s presentation from last year, a link to a two-question survey that assumes the listed locations need improvement, and FAQ’s that include basic answers to several questions. Concrete traffic data to support the consultant’s recommendations and claims on the website are absent.
This virtual community meeting is scheduled for one day after the Alhambra City Council is slated to hear the latest revised proposal of the large residential project, “The Villages,” at Fremont and Mission.
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