A Way Out of the 710 Jam : Prop. 111 Promises Relief for Long Beach Freeway

Truck drivers grit their teeth, grind their gears and deride Interstate 710 running in and out of Long Beach because the pavement is so rough and the lanes so crowded. But the fact is, the 710--the Long Beach Freeway--also feels like a washboard because it bears the pounding of so much truck traffic to and from the Port of Long Beach.

On weekday mornings, the southbound 710 jams up with trucks trying to reach the port. In the evening, they clog the northbound Long Beach headed for warehouses or the open road. A truck standing idle in traffic can cost the owner as much as a dollar a minute. Ripple effects add to the loss. If a container truck is backed up on the 710 Freeway when the freighter is due to sail, the export cargo subsequently may sit on the dock for a week or more before it can resume its journey.

The passage of Proposition 111 at the June 5 primary election will not cure all the congestion problems on the Long Beach Freeway, but widening the 710 is one of the priority projects eligible for the new gas-tax money. One thing for certain is that major improvements of this critical economic artery will be long in coming if the proposed gasoline-tax increase is defeated. Also, related projects such as improvements along the Alameda Corridor would benefit from the 10-year, $18.5-billion transportation finance program.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are working with railroads and neighboring cities to consolidate train traffic to and from the ports onto one line. Three railroads now run their own lines into the ports, all with multiple grade crossings that cause street congestion. One goal of the Alameda Corridor project is to transfer containers directly from the ship onto rail cars, thus keeping additional trucks off the 710 and 110 (Harbor) freeways. The $500-million project also would improve Alameda Boulevard so that it becomes a viable alternative truck route to the ports.

Without the $3.5 billion that Proposition 111 would provide for backlogged highway projects, it’s not likely the state would have money to spare for the Alameda Corridor. The measure also would generate $3 billion for cities and counties to use for congestion relief and $2 billion for a state-local transportation partnerships--both potential sources of help for projects like the corridor.

Congestion costs each California motorist an estimated $1,194 annually, just in wasted fuel and lost time. The loss to the Southern California economy runs far beyond that. Other ports are trying to lure shippers frustrated by the choking congestion around the San Pedro Bay ports. Proposition 111 will not merely provide more convenience for California motorists; it will lay the foundation for a thriving California economy in the 1990s and into the 21st Century.