Returning from paternity leave, I made a joke promise that if Supervisor Mike Antonovich's office would get behind a transit line for the High Desert Corridor, a proposed new freeway connecting Highway 14 in Los Angeles County to Highway 18 in San Bernardino County, Streetsblog would give a week of exclusive coverage to the area he represents and praise him effusively.
About an hour later I got an email from an acquantince familar with the project warning me, "be careful what you wish for."
Now I know why. While Metro has promoted the project as a "$6 billion dollar," "50 mile 6 lane highway" that will "accomodate an expected three to six fold increase in truck traffic," a series of new meetings for the project are promising two give the project a second look, and perhaps a complete makeover. A list of the meeting times and locations is available at the end of the article.
The High Desert Corridor project team is now considering a bike path, a green energy production/transmission corridor, and a high-speed rail feeder service connector for the area either as a replacement the project or addition to a smaller highway project. Politicians in San Bernadino have already heard presentations on the changes being studied and Supervisor Antonovich's office confirmed that the environmental impact report will include all of these options both in companion to the freeway and as alternatives.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report is expected to be available for public review late 2013.
Streetsblog was unable to get the Supervisor or Metro to comment on the record about the project until after the public meetings. In the meantime, if anyone has good ideas for stories in the Antelope Valley for Streetsblog to cover, leave them in the comments section.
High Desert Corridor Project Update Meetings:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 6-8pm Lake Los Angeles Elementary School 16310 E Avenue Q Palmdale, CA 93591
Thursday, December 6, 2012 6-8pm Stater Bros Stadium Mavericks Conference Room 12000 Stadium Rd Adelanto, CA 92301
Monday December 10, 2012 6-8pm* Endeavor School of Exploration 12403 Ridgecrest Rd Victorville, CA 92395
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6-8pm* Larry Chimbole Cultural Center Joshua Room 38350 Sierra Hwy Palmdale, CA 93350
The recently installed 1.25-mile long bikeway spans Lincoln Park Avenue, Flora Avenue, and Sierra Street - it's arguably the first new bike facility of the Measure HLA era
Brightline West will be a 218-mile 186-mile-per-hour rail line from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga - about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. - expected to open in 2028