Harry Sidhu on Transportation |
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We’ve all seen traffic on the eastbound 91 Freeway slow to a crawl for those heading home toward Riverside after a hard day’s work in Orange County. The six mile stretch from the 241 Toll Road in Anaheim Hills to the 71 Freeway in Corona has become one of the region’s most notorious traffic choke points, with more than 300,000 cars and trucks traveling it weekly. To make matters worse, that traffic load is expected to increase to 425,000 trips a day by 2030. So, the last thing an eastbound commuter wants at the end of the day is to get caught-up in a tangle of brake lights.
All of that will soon change. California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), OCTA and the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 3, 2009 to kick-off a $47.9 million freeway improvement project that will add an additional lane that promises to relieve congestion on that troubled section of the eastbound 91. According to Caltrans estimates, the new lane scheduled to open by this time next year will save commuters 15 minutes - making a positive impact on the daily lives of so many.
Along with my council colleagues, I have taken a leadership position in addressing transportation needs through the development of the following innovative projects: Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) project; Anaheim Fixed-Guideway system (linking ARTIC to the Platinum Triangle and the Anaheim Resort Area); and the California High Speed Rail Authority to provide a high-speed train (HST) connection between Southern and Northern California of which ARTIC will be the southern terminus of the Los Angeles-Anaheim segment.
As an elected official, I will continue to support vital infrastructure projects and urge that every dollar collected from taxes on gasoline or auto sales go directly back into construction of more freeway lanes, more roads, and more public transportation alternatives.
Harry Sidhu
Anaheim Mayor Pro Tem
