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I am requesting that a dedicated allocation of Cap and Trade funds
be assigned to the Sepulveda Pass project beginning in the second
or third year of the 2nd Investment Plan, contingent on the passage
of local funding, that this funding would be separate from the
general pool of transit funds already provided in the plan, and
that this allocation be committed for a period of years to enable
the building of this project within the next decade.

LA Metro has noted that “the I-405 corridor serves a captive market
of commute trips from the San Fernando Valley to Westside
employment areas that cannot be served by other freeway
alternatives.”  Metro Sepulveda Pass Corridor Planning Study, 2012.
  This freeway also serves as a major connector between the San
Fernando Valley and Northern Los Angeles County to the Los Angeles
International Airport and the seaports to the south.

This has been one of the most heavily congested routes in the
nation.  The congestion is so bad that it spills over onto adjacent
streets and highways. Recent road improvements have alleviated
congestion somewhat but how long this will last is yet to be seen. 
Per the Caltrans 2013 Traffic Volumes on California State Highways,
there are an average of 287,000 daily trips through the Sepulveda
Pass on the 405.  

We need a public transit solution through this pass.  The only
alternative for this is a subway, a very expensive project.  LA
Metro estimates the cost of this project at over $6 billion.  Their
current draft proposed funding for the project as part of Measure
R2 will fall short of the total revenues needed.   They have
acknowledged that the project will need an infusion of State and
Federal funds.

The justifications for making such a commitment are that a subway
under the pass would:
•	Reduce traffic through the pass reducing GHG emissions.
•	Reduce commute costs and times for residents of moderate and
low-income communities who live in the San Fernando Valley and work
in the Westside.
•	Reduce GHG and criteria emissions related to standing traffic
along the 405 and the canyon routes in this area.
•	Provide public transit access to the Los Angeles International
Airport from the San Fernando Valley and northern Los Angeles
County.
•	Enable and encourage the development of sustainable communities
along the route in the San Fernando Valley and the Westside.

Thank you for your consideration,
Carolyn Casavan