Funding Sought For Future 405 Problem

According to a story in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Councilman Patrick O'Donnell is seeking an additional "Umbrella funding package" to alleviate future impacts the planned 405 freeway reconfiguration project is sure to bring.

Funds, according to O'Donnell, are primarily for traffic law enforcement, impacts on roads, signage, street lights and other impacts expected from the closure.

Among the many things that will aggravate drivers that frequent the 405 will be the one-year closure of the 7th Street westbound entrance, as well as the eastbound entrance sometime in mid 2010.

Planned detour streets during construction will be Westminster boulevard, Seal Beach boulevard, and Palo Verde Avenue - which runs just a few blocks up from the CSULB campus. O'Donnell has criticized plans for the Palo Verde detour route on more than one occasion.

In a statement he made to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, O'Donnell made his point clear,"On any day of the week, Palo Verde is a parking lot."

According to plans for the detour route, detour traffic from the 405 is expected to aggravate traffic created by CSULB, further enforcing O'Donnell's point.

So to all who frequent Palo Verde Avenue, you have been warned.

Original story can be found here http://www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_12222424?IADID=Search-www.presstelegram.com-www.presstelegram.com

Photograph provided by: http://www.longbeach.gov/District4/

7th Street Bridge Closure More Cause For Concern

After a closer inspection by City of Long Beach Traffic Engineer Dave Roseman, all does not seem well with the planned 7th Street bridge closure as well as its detour routes.

According to the story in the LBReport website, Roseman anticipates drivers will likely take a different route than anticipated by Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).

In an open letter to OCTA's Niall Barrett, Roseman expressed these concerns, siting several possible detour options as well as the impact these might have on surrounding streets. One street exit sited as a possible place of concern is none other than the 405 freeway exit on Bellflower Boulevard, only a few blocks up the street from the CSULB campus.

Will this have a greater impact than anticipated on our campus traffic for the next semesters to come? Hard to say, but if numbers mean anything, a projected 20% of traffic is expected to populate Bellflower Boulevard while another 30% is anticipated on Palo Verde Avenue after the closure is implemented.

This could mean a harder time getting to class for some time to come. Better get that car out early and beat the traffic before it beats you.

Story found on http://www.lbreport.com/news/apr09/wcclb2.htm

Images provided by OCTA at http://www.octa.net/westcounty.aspx

Traffic On The Rise On The 405?

The golden rule shared among L.A commuters boils down to one simple thing.

Expect traffic. Always.

A recent article in the Daily 49er only reinforces the point, citing a possible freeway closure in the not-so-distant-future as a cause for major concern among Long Beach residents and students alike. A planned renovation of three major Southern California freeways, known officially as the West County Connectors project, will officially begin as early as next year, bringing with it an assured heavy dose of traffic. The project in question seeks to create direct connections into carpool lanes between Route 22, Interstate 405, and Interstate 605.

Unfortunately, with change comes a great deal of growing pains for residents in the nearby affected areas. In order for renovations to begin, closure of the northbound I-405 to westbound Route 22 connector (also known as the Seventh Street Bridge) must be completed. Many residents living near campus fear this might cause a heavier flow of traffic on their streets, since about a third of CSULB's campus community commutes on a daily basis from the O.C area (this includes teachers and students alike, we are a commuter school after all!).

CSULB officials as well as the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) hope to get the word out before construction begins, as well as discuss ways in which this traffic disaster in waiting can be averted if not eased ahead of time.

Just remember, expect traffic delays. Always.

For more on this article, feel free to visit http://www.daily49er.com/news/freeway_closure_a_cause_for_concern-1.1624509

Photos curtesy of http://www.westcoastroads.com/california/i-405_ca.html