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Lack of funding due to borrowing for the general fund has left our highways and waterways in substandard shape. I can attest to that after driving the cracked, potholed roads of Los Angeles. It has been far too easy for the legislature to ignore the pressing needs and the lack of maintenance has compounded the problem. I believe that taxes from gasoline and other transportation areas must be put towards the infrastructure. The idea of toll lanes on the 210 freeway to replace the car pool lanes is myopic. It does nothing to improve traffic and in many ways makes it worse as it puts more cars in the regular lanes. We need to expand capacity and move cargo onto rail instead of truck. The Alameda Transporation Corridor East is one that can help move cargo onto rail instead of road. Locally we have the 710 freeway issue. I have mixed feelings on the matter. When the 210 freeway was extended out to the 15 freeway it was great at first. Now it has become a traffic nightmare. You can't go from Pasadena to Duarte without being in bumper to bumper all the way. Once it took 15 minutes now takes 45 on afternoon rush hour drives. Why? All that traffic from the 60 and 10 freeways has spilled onto the 210 going out to the Inland Empire. Now come back to the 710. If the freeway is completed it will have all the traffic of the Golden State freeway poured onto the 210 freeway. The 210 from Pasadena to San Fernando is a logical alternate to the Golden State. The folks in La Canada, Pasadena and Altadena are going to have bumper to bumper throughout the day. As a road buff I hate to see an incomplete freeway but as a resident I don't care much for bumper to bumper traffic in my neighborhood. I don't care much for the 405 freeway and I certainly don't want to bring it to the 44th district. In short I do not support public funds for construction of the 710 completion. I leave it to private investment if so be it. I am amazed that the city of South Pasadena has given permission towards a tunnel. Generally it has been no all the way. Truth be told, I can't imagine it being completed anytime soon. It probably never will be. The cost is prohibitively expensive and the state right now is in a budget mess of its own making.
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