South Pasadena Adds Comments on Gold Line

City Suggests Gold Line Needs Fair Balanced Environmental Criteria on Entire Line

SOUTH PASADENA, Calif., Feb. 1 -- The City of South Pasadena submitted additional comments today on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed extension of the Metro Gold Line Light Rail project (Phase II Foothill Extension). The city's additional comments point out that segmenting the Gold Line into three phases (Phase I, the East Side Extension, and Phase II) to avoid the application of federal environmental criteria on impacts caused by the entire line's usage is illegal under both state and federal law.

At issue is the concern that the expanded Gold Line will be subject to a patch-work of environmental criteria that will allow its builders to save money (and avoid more stringent environmental review) on the mitigation of vibration and sound by treating the phases of the Gold Line as separate projects.

"We owe it to our residents to blow the whistle on any attempts to avoid environmental standards as the length and frequency of the trains along the entire Gold Line increase due to Phase II," said South Pasadena City Manager Mike Copp.

The City of South Pasadena submitted its comments on the Phase II environmental study on June 21, 2004, asserting, that Phase II's environmental standards must address the cumulative impacts of the expansion of the Gold Line service, including the Phase II extension (Pasadena to Montclair in the San Gabriel Valley) and the East Side Extension, currently under construction in East Los Angeles. Recently Construction Authority members asserted and demonstrated that all phases of the Gold Line are to be considered one continuous project, but that only the future extensions of the Gold Line will benefit from the more stringent federal environmental standards.

"We will be vigilant in monitoring this process. If noise and vibration standards are applied indiscriminately, we will not hesitate to pursue all options to slow the expansion of the Gold Line until these issues are addressed, including a legal challenge," said City Council Member Michael Cacciotti.

Meanwhile, the city is achieving success regarding the current noise and vibration problems caused by Phase I of the Gold Line as it runs through South Pasadena. Last month Administrative Law Judge Anne E. Simon issued her recommendation approving the Gold Line related Settlement Agreement among the City of South Pasadena, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Los Angeles to Pasadena Metro Blue Line Construction Authority. The Settlement Agreement includes operational changes, as well as mitigations aimed at reducing noise and vibrations caused by Gold Line trains running through the City of South Pasadena. Judge Simon imposed additional conditions, including time-lines for the construction of noise shrouds around bells (60 days to construct, 75 days to report on the construction, and subsequent testing), and the silencing of bells after crossing gate arms descend (15 days to silence bells at the intersections of Pasadena Avenue/Monterey Road and Mission Street/Meridian Avenue; 15 days to silence bells at El Centro/Glendon Way after the installation of additional quad-gates). Judge Simon further required a 15-day noticing period in the event that the MTA alters its horn operating procedures, as well as requiring the Construction Authority to attain the approval of the Public Utilities Commission for the construction of the "quad-gates" and alterations of crossing gates called for in the Settlement Agreement.

The California Public Utilities Commission will act on Judge Simon's ruling at a public hearing on February 10, 2005, at which time all or part of the Settlement Agreement will be adopted, or the Commission will prepare its own decision.

For more information on the settlement agreement, residents and others interested are encouraged to visit and register for email updates at www.streetcarwedesire.com or contact South Pasadena City Hall at (626) 403-7214.

The City of South Pasadena was incorporated in 1888 and is currently home to approximately 25,000 residents. It borders the City of Los Angeles on its south and the City of Pasadena to its north. South Pasadena is known for its tree-lined streets, historic California Craftsman-style homes, unique small businesses and its outstanding public schools.