710 FWY Expansion Project
One of the main reasons why EYCEJ was started was due to the plan brought forth by Gateway Cities Council of Governments, METRO & CalTrans to expand the capacity of the I-710 FWY by nearly 3-times due to projections of free-trade increase.
They fast-tracked the process, and did not plan to include communities’ concerns in the process. When the Oversight Project Committee announced their plan to eliminate over 600 homes throughout the length of the project and add 4-lanes to each side of the highway, communities along the 710 held actions, demonstrations, town hall meetings, and other events to bring communities together and fight a project that would threaten their health, home, and community.
Already, the 710 FWY carries an estimated 47,000 truck trips each day. Research indicates that each big-rig truck releases as much air pollution as 150 cars, so that’s a lot of exposure to particulate matter, nox, and other criteria pollutants.
Research also points to the undeniable link between low birth weight & premature births and a close proximity to busy roadways, such as the 710 freeway. Aside from homes throughout the length of the freeway, there are also more than 30 schools located less than 1 mile from the freeway.
With this knowledge, EYCEJ and other important community groups, concerned residents, fought hard to stop this project in its tracks. And we did. They’ve since started the process from scratch, setting up a system of public participation never before seen in a Caltrans project.
EYCEJ resources
Brief: A Health Impact Assessment in the I-710 EIR/EIS
Other Resources: