This Week in Livable Streets

Metro 605/5 Freeway widening, Eastside and Foothill L Lines, and more:

• Varies – L.A. County Public Health’s 2 p.m. COVID-19 briefings are one or two days each week. Watch at the County Channel, Channel 94 on most cable systems, or via the County of Los Angeles Facebook page, where broadcast briefings are archived.
• Tuesday 7/26 and Wednesday 7/27 – This week there are a couple of Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG) committee meetings that include updates on Metro’s plans to widen the 605 Freeway and several intersecting freeways. The 605 Corridor Improvement Project was announced to include more than a thousand impacts to parcels, including hundreds of home demolitions, mostly along the 5 Freeway in Downey and Santa Fe Springs. Then the Metro board requested project modifications to include less harmful alternatives, consideration of equity, and effective community outreach. Metro will present on the 605CIP at the Tuesday 1:30 p.m. at the SR 91/605/405 Technical Advisory Committee [agenda] and at the Wednesday 6 p.m. SR 91/65/405 Corridor Cities Committee [agenda]. Both are virtual public meetings where the public can comment on Metro’s freeway widening plans.
• Wednesday 7/27 – The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority board will meet starting at 12 noon. Details at Authority meetings calendar.
• Continuing Saturday 7/30 – Metro is hosting three more meetings (two in person, one virtual) on its planned nine-mile Eastside L Line light rail extension from East L.A. to Whittier. On July 1, Metro released the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (dEIR) for a 60-day review and comment period, after which the Metro Board will finalize the plans for the project – by selecting a “locally preferred alternative.” For project and meeting information, see Metro’s The Source. Upcoming hearings are as follows:
  – Saturday 7/30 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Applied Technology Center High School at 1200 W. Mines Avenue in Montebello
  – Thursday 8/11 from 6-8 p.m. virtual meeting
  – Wednesday 8/17 from 6-8 p.m. at Whittier Community Center (Gymnasium) at 7630 Washington Avenue in Whittier
• Ongoing – Join the Eastside Riders Bike Club at Ted Watkins Park in Watts for Physical Education for the Entire Family. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. See Facebook post for more details.

Did we miss anything? Is there something we should list on future calendars? Email joe [at] streetsblog.org