Purpose

To consolidate, disseminate, and gather information concerning the 710 expansion into our San Rafael neighborhood and into our surrounding neighborhoods. If you have an item that you would like posted on this blog, please e-mail the item to Peggy Drouet at pdrouet@earthlink.net

Monday, September 30, 2013

CALL TO ACTION:

From Sylvia Plummer, September 30, 2013

WHAT IS HAPPENING:

The Long Beach City Council will meet Tuesday, October 1, beginning at 5:00 p.m.  On the agenda will be a recommended action to pass a resolution to support the “completion” of the 710.   This effort was initiated by 3 of the 9 Long Beach City Council members.  Their memorandum containing the proposed resolution is attached.  Also attached is a copy of the agenda.  We apologize for the short notice, but we were made aware of this only today.

Long Beach memorandum:

http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/26715411 

Long Beach agenda (first pages are blank): 
 
 http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/26715348



CALL TO ACTION:  We are asking all of you to send emails to the Long Beach City Council.  

WHAT WE NEED TO DO:

STEP 1:   Send a brief email to each Long Beach City Council member, the Mayor, City Manager and the City Clerk (same message to all).  Our messages should be polite and concise.  Remember, the goal is to get them to oppose or at least be neutral.  Please take action!  It won't require a lot of your time, and the impact of hundreds of messages could make the difference in swaying their votes.  The dozens of letters sent to the Monrovia City Council made a big impact and were mentioned by the City Clerk when she introduced the agenda item at the Monrovia City Council meeting on Sept. 3.  Monrovia failed to support the connection of the 710 tothe 210 via a freeway -- above ground or below ground.

Three of nine City Council members initiated this resolution, and we are not certain about the positions of the Mayor or the other City Council members on this issue.

Some points for your messages to include:
  • Be sure to tell what community you live in and what the impacts to your community will be.
  • Discuss the completion of the 210 to the 15 which resulted in the increase in traffic on the 210 we see today, turning the 210 into a parking lot a particular times of the day.  The additional 140,000 vehicles per day projected to use the tunnel will not facilitate goods movement to the inland empire nor to points north.
  • Since the rationale in the proposed resolution hinges heavily on the connection of the 710 to the 210 as completion of a goods movement corridor, it goes against Metro's denials of this as a motivating factor for the SR-710 project.
  • Point out that Metro has stated over and over again that they are evaluating the performance of the tunnel with and without truck traffic, and that if no trucks are allowed, it will not achieve the goods movement corridor.
  • Point out that this will be, of necessity and by Metro's own admission, a tolled roadway and that trucks may avoid using it for that very reason.
  • Discuss the various other options for goods movement (for example, by clean, quiet electric rail  transport systems) that would benefit ALL the communities of the I-710 corridor and prevent the communities of the 210 corridor from experiencing the same environmental and health damage that the I-710 corridor has suffered.

STEP 2:   Below is the list of names and email addresses.  Be sure to email everyone on this list.

Long Beach City Council officials:
City Clerk:  Larry Herrera               cityclerk@longbeach.gov
City Manager:  Patrick West        Patrick.west@longbeach.gov

Mayor:  Bob Foster                      mayor@longbeach.gov
District 1:  Dr. Robert Garcia            district1@longbeach.gov
District 2:  Suja Lowenthal            district2@longbeach.gov
District 3:  Gary DeLong                district3@longbeach.gov
District 4:  Patrick O’Donnell          district4@longbeach.gov
District 5:  Gerrie Schipske            district5@longbeach.gov
District 6:  Dee Andrews               dee.andrews@longbeach.gov
District 7:  James Johnson             district7@longbeach.gov
District 8:  Al Austin                      district8@longbeach.gov
District 9:  Steven Neal                   district9@longbeach.gov

STEP 3:  Able to Attend? (Be sure to check the agenda at the City of Long Beach website and attached).
For those that can attend and speak, or just come and support those that will speak, here is the city council meeting info:

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

City Council Chambers
333 West Ocean Blvd. 
Long Beach, CA 90802

Meeting starts at 5:00 p.m.

Public Speakers are given up to 3 minutes to speak.  You do not need to complete a speaker card for agenda items.  According to the City Clerk's office, a line forms behind the podium, and you just get in line.