Exciting news! Today the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board voted unanimously to end the 50-year debate over the SR-710 freeway “connector” in California’s San Gabriel Valley, removing the potential of exorbitant costs and destructive effects of a 5.4-mile, 60-foot-wide tunnel proposal to the Historic Communities of the 710.

This vote is a major step forward that will finally allow these communities—included on our annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in the 1980s and named a National Treasure in 2015—to pursue strategic, sustainable, multi-modal projects that will enhance mobility for the region.

We join our partners in the Connected Cities and Communities (C3) coalition—the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada-Flintridge, South Pasadena and Sierra Madre, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the No 710 Action Committee—in applauding this vote as a forward-thinking and cost-effective solution for the region’s transportation needs.

National Trust President and CEO Stephanie Meeks said, "We have advocated for a solution that addresses the growing region’s need for equitable transportation while preserving its unique history. As such, we are pleased that today’s Metro Board decision will enhance the character and identity that makes these diverse communities thrive.”