La Cañada officials secure funds to tone down freeway traffic
La Cañada’s total estimated sound wall need comes with a $45.15 million price tag. In 2010, La Cañada committed $4.588 million to the construction of three sound walls, though 20 locations were identified as needing the noise buffers.
The city of La Cañada Flintridge could in the near future see a new sound wall built near the Foothill (210) Freeway, after officials secured $1.8 million of its guaranteed funding from Measure R early to start work on design and construction plans.
Council members approved Tuesday a funding agreement between the city and the Metropolitan Transportation authority that would shift funding timelines so that La Cañada could get part of its nearly $10.1 million share of the 30-year transportation tax now.
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To account for the advance, officials with the cities of Glendale and Burbank — which are currently entitled to receive funds now but do not have projects ready to go — agreed to delay receipt of their funding until a later time, according to City Hall staffer Ann Wilson, who addressed La Cañada council members Tuesday.
“Most of the other cities are behind in their Measure R projects, but not us. We are essentially ahead,” Wilson said. “So we were able to come and say [to Glendale and Burbank], ‘Listen, since you guys are behind, please let us use this money now and you can use what was budgeted for us later.’”
When voters approved Measure R’s 30-year .5% sales tax hike in 2008, the cities of La Cañada, Glendale and Burbank were designated to receive a collective $170 million throughout the life of the tax, with funds being subdivided according to population size. The communities of La Crescenta and Montrose were later added to the list of Metro’s Arroyo Verdugo Subregion cities.
La Cañada’s total estimated sound wall need comes with a $45.15 million price tag. In 2010, La Cañada committed $4.588 million to the construction of three sound walls, though 20 locations were identified as needing the noise buffers.
“Because the fund is available now, it’s better to use it,” Public Works Director Edward Hitti told the council Tuesday. “(Otherwise), it may go back to larger cities if they have larger projects, so this is the time for us to use it.”
The newest sound wall segment would be located on the south side of the 210 Freeway, about a quarter-mile west of the Alta Canyada Road over-crossing, according to city documents.
Hitti said with the remainder of the Measure R funds earmarked for use in La Cañada, the city might be able to plan and build another two segments somewhere in town.
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
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