With the 710 Dead, What Should Alhambra’s Position Be on the 710?

For years, the City of Alhambra has been at the head of the movement to extend the 710 north so that it meets the 210. For the region, the extension would have been a disaster, creating a new corridor for truck traffic to rumble through the Southland. But for Alhambra, who has dealt with trucks using local streets to get from the 710 to other freeways, the extension was seen as a critical local project.

But now, with the 710 extension project dead, Alhambra is left to both decide how to use monies set aside for the extension and work with regional and state legislators to make things better for residents dealing with truck traffic. Tonight, the City Council will meet to discuss state legislation and perhaps begin to create a new position for the city.

On the agenda for tonight: should the state remove the “stub” of the existing 710 from the state highway network and possibly take a position on who should get control of the right-of-way for the one mile of freeway that extends north of the I-10 in the current configuration.

In the Alhambra Source, Mayor Jeff Maloney sounds interested in turning the current freeway stub into a park. The new green space would provide civic, public health and environmental benefits. But Maloney understands that whatever decision the Council makes will have long-reaching implications and he wants to make sure many voices are heard before any decisions are made.

The City Council will meet tonight. You can read their full agenda, here, and read more about tonight’s meeting and the 710 at the Alhambra Source.

(Note, the City of Alhambra’s website was down at the moment this article was published.)