|
| George Passantino, the director of government affairs for the Reason Foundation |
| February 6, 2005 |
| Palmdale tunnel: Nearer than you might think |
| Viewpoint: Imagine zipping from Palmdale to Pasadena in only 45 minutes - guaranteed, even in rush hour? How about commuting to Burbank or downtown Los Angeles in less than an hour without waking up at 3 a.m.? |
| Facing rapid growth over the next 25 years, the Antelope Valley must begin work now on another corridor to relieve the already congested Antelope Valley Freeway. Implicit in the Reason analysis are two factors that suggest the tunnel is more realistic now than ever before and should stimulate lawmakers to look at the idea again. First, the tunnel concept was last studied before airport capacity was limited at LAX and before Orange County voters rejected an airport on the former El Toro Marine Base. While Palmdale airport's future is all but assured with these two developments, one significant challenge facing the airport is connecting it with potential travelers in the Los Angeles basin. |
| - |
| A tunnel route would provide a much needed boost to more commercial airline service in Palmdale. By drawing traffic from airport users, additional toll revenues could be generated, helping the tunnel to be self supporting. The Reason proposal also suggests teaming up with the private sector to finance, build and operate the tunnel. Private investors are already financing multibillion dollar projects all around the world, including the $6 billion Trans Texas Corridor. What is more, Cintra, the firm that won the Texas contract, is paying the state $1.2 billion for the opportunity to operate the facility. |
| - |
| When a private firm invests their own money and is accountable to their investors for profitable operations they have a powerful incentive to avoid cost overruns and delays - something missing when the state spends taxpayer money. The Antelope Valley's future is one of fast growth and yet our transportation infrastructure is not keeping pace with it. A Palmdale to Glendale tunnel would be a great place to start. |
| - |
|