Canceling Freeways is Awesome
Why do we build highways for cars, but not for bikes? J. Kanner at ArroyoFest 2023
Canceling the 710 extension
People have lots of different feelings about freeways. They can be an amazing way to cross the country, and sometimes they can even be a fast way to get across Los Angeles. But - love them or hate them - the fact is that freeways inside cities take a HUGE amount of resources. They have displaced tens of thousands of people - mainly low income residents and people of color - and divided countless communities. They take up enormous amounts of space, they increase noise, they increase pollution, they increase traffic, and … they cost a LOT of money to build, expand, and maintain.
A 1958 California “Master Plan of Freeways” included a five mile segment of the 710 that was proposed to tear through El Sereno, Alhambra, South Pasadena, and Pasadena. Thanks to 60 years of advocacy, this extension was never completed, and was officially canceled in 2019. Cancelling this project saved thousands of homes that would have been destroyed had the freeway been extended, and moreover, heralds the rebirth of a neighborhood. Desperately needed homes will now be built in the 710 stub, and discussions are in progress for potential restorative justice for people displaced in the past.
In addition, there are many other benefits to canceling a freeway project. In this piece, I want to talk about the money. I think only now are we realizing just how awesome it is to spend that freeway money on projects that give people real alternatives to driving. And here’s the thing: it’s a lot of money.
Freeways (and cars) are expensive
Freeways are really expensive. The 710 extension would have cost well over a billion dollars. For example, the recent 405 widening project cost over $2 billion. Similarly, Streets For All estimates that the LA Metro Board currently spends about $300 million every year on various freeway widening projects, and is planning to spend $21 billion on future freeway widening projects. The Natural Resources Defense Council released a 2023 report showing that much of California’s transportation funding goes to projects that will increase the amount of driving in Los Angeles. The report highlights current freeway widening projects in Los Angeles that will each cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Since we are talking about money, I also want to note that driving is really expensive for families. AAA currently estimates that new car ownership costs an average of $12,000 per year. If Pasadena follows national averages, then as a city, the people of Pasadena are spending $500 million each year buying cars, gas, parking, maintenance, and insurance to keep driving. [Math: 45,000 households X $12,000 per year per household = $500 M / year]
As rent and car ownership become more unaffordable each year, more and more families in our region are opting to share one car per family, rather than one car per person. Similarly, many students at PCC, Caltech, and local high schools don’t have their own cars, at least partially because they can’t afford it. As inflation and rising housing costs chip away at family budgets, we need to take seriously the expensive burden of car ownership, and give real options for people who can’t or won’t afford a personal car.
Bike lanes (and bikes) are cheap
For comparison with the billions of dollars that it costs to build a few miles of freeway, bike lanes are really affordable. For example, the Union Street bike two-way protected bike lane - which is high-end as bike projects go - cost around $12 million. In freeway units, that’s 0.012 billion, or 1% of the cost of a freeway expansion. Now that the 710 extension is canceled, Pasadena is planning to spend some of the money that would have gone to the freeway on a collection of NINE projects to make our city safer, more livable, and more sustainable. The incredible thing is that all nine projects are now funded, and there’s still $49 million left over for more. Here are some examples of awesome projects that are now funded by canceling the 710:
Four North/South Greenways: This project will create twelve miles of traffic calmed streets in Pasadena. The result will be quiet neighborhoods streets, where it’s pleasant to walk and safer to ride a bike.
New Bus Depot: Pasadena will build a new bus depot with facilities for electric charging and hydrogen refueling to support a new fleet of zero-emission busses.
Avenue 64 Complete Streets: Residents in this neighborhood have been asking for years to slow traffic on this street. They are finally going to get a traffic circle and other safety measures.
Pasadena Ave and St. John Ave Network: This big project will bring better sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and traffic calming to what is currently a high-speed corridor through a residential neighborhood. As with Avenue 64,, residents in this area have been asking for safer streets for years, and they are finally going to get some relief.
Columbia Street Improvements: More sidewalks, more bike lanes, and more safety features. This is desperately needed on a street with a high rate of collisions.
Cost of projects in Pasadena
Average American budget
Bike lanes save people money
As described above, driving is really expensive, and costs people in Pasadena around $500 million each year. So, if even a tiny fraction of trips shift to public transportation, biking, and walking, it will save individuals and families a lot of money.
How much money? Well, other cities in California like Davis, Palo Alto, and Berkeley have invested in their bike networks. The result? In all of these cities, something like 6-10% of trips are now made by bike, compared with the U.S. average which is around 1%. If Pasadena residents, visitors, and students shifted around 6% of car trips to biking and walking, we could reduce our driving budget by $40 million per year, AND reduce traffic, AND create more available parking for drivers. That means the money invested in these biking projects will create real savings for the people of Pasadena, which will total far beyond the costs. Building bike lanes saves people a lot of money!
My bike helped us buy a house
I’m going to share a personal story, to illustrate how driving less can create real savings for families.
When I finished school, my dad bought me a brand new 2003 Silver Honda Civic as a graduation present. Along with the gift, he gave me the advice to start saving every month for my next car. I took his advice, and setup an automatic transfer of a few hundred dollars a month to a savings account, with the idea to replace the Civic in five or ten years.
In 2005, I started riding my bike for work and other errands. I carried my son to preschool in a little bike seat, and then a bike trailer. I drove the Civic less and less. By 2016, we’d saved around $25,000 for a new car, but the Civic was still running fine, and I wasn’t driving much anyway. So we bought a house instead, using the $25,000 as half of our down-payment.
Now it’s 2023. I ride an electric bike every day. Our house has nearly doubled in value, so our modest down-payment has earned us a lot of equity. And, guess what? The Civic still runs! It’s sitting in my driveway right now.
Now - I know - this story includes a lot of privilege, and everyone’s situation is different. But, I think almost anyone could benefit from saving a few hundred dollars a month. For my family, that meant saving for a down payment. But for another family, driving less might allow them to afford rent, or groceries, or education, or any other important bills that families have to pay.
p.s. Thanks, Dad.
More Awesome Stuff Can Happen
Canceling the 710 extension in Pasadena was awesome, and it’s making nine great projects happen in our city.
I hope this is just the beginning of awesome stuff happening because of canceled freeways. Incredibly, a SECOND 710 freeway expansion was also canceled just last year, freeing up MORE money for awesome projects. After canceling the SIX BILLION DOLLAR project, the Metro board will shift $750 million that had been allocated for the freeway to instead support residents of Southeast Los Angeles. Hopefully, this money will go to build awesome projects for clean air, livability, and sustainability for people in this region.
Here’s how you can help right now to make more awesome stuff happen:
Sign the Pasadena petition for All Ages & Abilities Greenways
Support the Los Angeles effort to end freeway widening in Los Angeles by Streets for All
Support the state-wide effort to end freeway widening and provide CalTrans oversight by CalBike
Share this blog with a friend.
Together, we can make our city safer, quieter, healthier, and more affordable for everyone who lives here.
