The 605 freeway expansion project was expected to demolish hundreds of homes and multifamily buildings.

In a victory for freeway fighters and anti-displacement activists, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announced the Metro and Caltrans 605 Freeway Corridor Improvement Project (605CIP), which, per its initial plans, would have displaced hundreds of residents and impacted more than a thousand parcels in the area.
The news was announced by Metro Senior Director of Countywide Planning and Development Isidro Pánuco at a meeting of the Metro Board Planning and Programming Committee on Wednesday and reported by Joe Linton in Streetsblog LA.
“This is the first time that Metro staff has announced publicly and unequivocally that the 605CIP will not demolish homes,” Linton notes. “Nevertheless, Metro and Caltrans are still planning to proceed with widening the 605, the 5, and many many more Southern California freeways during a time when the dire impacts of the global climate catastrophe are becoming increasingly hard to ignore.”
FULL STORY: Metro Announces 605 Freeway Widening Project Will Not Demolish Homes

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Opinion: DC Encampment Sweeps Hide, but Don’t Solve, Homelessness
President Trump recently ordered the clearing of encampments built by unhoused people on federal land in Washington, D.C.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.
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