The Metro Board of Directors unanimously voted to defund the 719 Tunnel, indicating the project is not feasible.
By Marc Corti
The 12-0 vote came on Thursday after a long period of public comments where environmentalists and concerned citizens crowded the boardroom and mainly spoke against the project. Afterwards, Metro Board approved a motion to fund local road improvements to alleviate and address traffic congestion.
Without the estimated $700 million contribution from Metro (allocated from Measure R sales tax and approved in 2008), the proposed tunnel (estimated to cost around $3 billion) is heading to failure, regardless of Caltrans’ possible future decision on such an option. Instead, $105 million from Measure R would be used for improvements to local streets, such as sound walls, bikeways, etc.
Shortly after the vote, Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek was very happy with the outcome. The tunnel’s final environmental study will be completed later this year.
Leave a Reply