The state leases space under freeways to boost revenue, but their contracts are loosely enforced.
In an Associated Press article, Julie Watson and Amy Taxin describe the scrutiny facing a California program that leases property under freeways to various private entities.
The concern comes after a massive fire under a portion of Interstate 10 near downtown Los Angeles damaged the freeway, causing it to close for at least a week, destroying the property of street vendors stored in the same area, and displaced unhoused people taking refuge in the underpass.
Governor Newsom’s office said the state will reevaluate its leasing system, which brings in revenue for transportation projects but is loosely monitored. The contract with Apex Development Inc, which leases the land under I-10, explicitly barred the storage of flammable materials, but the company did not enforce that provision with its sublessees. Now, state officials are calling for a directory of leased sites and their contract terms.
FULL STORY: California program to lease land under freeways faces scrutiny after major Los Angeles fire
Audit: Caltrans Ignored Red Flags Before Freeway Fire
A lax inspection schedule contributed to the hazardous conditions that led to the massive blaze that shut down Interstate 10 in Los Angeles last year.
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The city’s fire department is surveying other underpasses for hazardous materials and other code violations that led to the November 11 fire that shut down a key interstate segment.
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Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
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