Officials announced on Friday that a federal grant of almost $10 million will be utilized to construct a pedestrian and bicycle crossing over the Long Beach (710) Freeway.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, along with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, and other local officials, gathered at Humphreys Avenue Elementary School to commemorate the funding that will reunite the area of East Los Angeles that was separated by the construction of I-710.
The funding for the project is sourced from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021. This legislation allocates a total of $110 billion over a span of five years to support the development of major projects, including roads, bridges, and other crucial infrastructure.
During a news conference on Friday morning, Buttigieg stated that the construction of the 710 freeway from 1953 to 1965 was an investment in supply chains and vehicle travel, much like many other freeways and highways built during that era.
According to the statement, the benefits of certain plans were not accessible to low-income communities as they lacked the political power to alter or oppose them, resulting in a division within these communities.
According to Buttigieg, the construction plan aims to enhance people’s daily routine by building a convenient overpass for pedestrians and bicyclists. This overpass will provide accessibility to travel from one side of the locality to the other with ease.
According to Buttigieg, ensuring the safety of kids on their way to school is a matter that now deeply resonates with him as a parent. “It’ll make it safer for kids to get to school in the morning. That’s something, again, that touches me in a whole new way ever since becoming a parent,” he stated.
Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of Metro, emphasized that her main focus for the project was achieving modal equity.
According to Wiggins, almost one-fifth of East L.A. is occupied by freeways, which is a significantly higher percentage compared to only 4% for the entire city of Los Angeles. This poses a challenge for pedestrians and cyclists in East L.A. as they have to navigate through busy bridges, on- and off-ramps while commuting to school, church, grocery stores, or local businesses.
During his two-day visit to the Los Angeles area, Buttigieg made several announcements regarding the allocation of millions of dollars for various projects throughout the region.
Buttigieg recently took part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the $1.5 billion Port B On-Dock Rail Yard expansion project, alongside Port of Long Beach officials. The project aims to strengthen the U.S. supply chain. In addition, he also celebrated the allocation of almost $80 million for electric buses and upgrades to a bus yard in West Hollywood, together with Supervisor Janice Hahn and Metro officials.