September 2012

Project Study Area

The I-710 Corridor Project EIR/EIS

Urban Design and Aesthetic Concepts

IntroductionIn 2004, the I-710 Major Corridor Study (MCS) resulted in a set of priorities that lay the groundwork for the extensive community participation program included in the I-710 Corridor Project EIR/EIS, currently underway. During the MCS, the corridor communities identified design and aesthetic enhancements as priorities. As a result, urban design and aesthetic treatment concepts were included in the EIR/EIS phase of the project. For over two years, a team of urban designers worked with representatives from the community through the Community Design and Local Economy Subject Working Group (CSWG) to develop a set of concepts that articulate the corridor communities’ vision for improved aesthetics on the freeway corridor, interchanges, on-, off-ramps, bridges and adjacent arterials. This collection of aesthetic design concepts is known as the Urban Design Toolbox. The development of the Toolbox also included coordination with Caltrans, Metro, and the Gateway Cities Council of Governments.

I-710 Corridor Project EIR/EIS Project DescriptionMetro and six project partners are conducting an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) to analyze a range of possible alternatives to improve and modernize the I-710 Corridor. The I-710 Corridor Project study area extends 18 miles from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the Pomona Freeway (SR 60), encompassing 15 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County adjacent to the freeway corridor.

Objectives

The I-710 Corridor Project EIR/EIS objectives are to develop transportation alternatives that will: improve air quality/public health; improve mobility, congestion and safety; and assess alternative green goods movement technologies.

Alternatives

The I-710 EIR/EIS is in progress, with four alternatives currently under study in the Draft EIR/EIS. Three of the alternatives are depicted below. A no build alternative, Alternative 1, is also under study and assumes planned and committed projects and other local initiatives such as traffic signal coordination, but no additional major improvements.

The concepts outlined in this document illustrate many techniques and options for enhancing the aesthetic of the I-710 corridor. By the time the project is built, there will likely be new design options, materials and technologies that can be added to achieve the overall theme and direction.

The elements in the toolbox will be used as a framework in the design phase of the I-710 Corridor Project. In addition, these concepts will be used to inform the development of the I-710 Corridor Master Plan which is currently being led by Caltrans and is in partnership with the Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GC COG).

Both future design of the project and the current I-710 Corridor Master Plan processes will include:

• Continued coordination between stakeholders and the I-710 outreach process

• Ongoing development of a unified theme in the corridor and refinement of aesthetic and design concepts.

• Ongoing community outreach

Visit www.metro.net/710 for more information on the project.

The proposed separate Freight Corridor is a component for Alternatives 6A/6B/6C only. Potential Freight Corridor aesthetic enhancements include:

• Sound Walls

• Screen Walls

• Structural Elements

• Landscape

• Lighting/Energy Generation

• Community Branding at Arterials

Green screening Example of curved screen wall

Green screening on columns

Alternative 5AWidening of the I-710 to 10 general purpose lanes and improving all interchanges

Alternative 6ASame improvements as 5A plus a separate four-lane Freight Corridor

Alternative 6B/6CSame as 6A, but assumes the Freight Corridor will be used by trucks with zero tailpipe emissions (6B) and/or with tolls (6C.)

Next Steps

Freight Corridor

Screen wall switching from east side to left side of the freight corridor

Community Enhancement Goals and Design PrioritiesCommunity members representing the I-710 Corridor communities as well as city and agency representatives actively participated in meetings of the Community Design and Local Economy Subject Working Group (CSWG) to discuss aesthetic treatments that could potentially be applied to any improvements to the I-710 freeway. The group reviewed structural elements and aesthetic treatments that have been applied to highways in other parts of the country and the world. The group worked with a team of urban designers to develop a set of community enhancement goals and design priorities that will drive the design treatments included in the Urban Design Toolbox.

• Community Beautification and Identity

• Connectivity

• Sustainability

• Respectful and Appropriate Infrastructure Design

Sound Walls and Screen Walls

Sound walls are planned for different sections of the proposed freeway improvements. The sound walls reduce noise levels from the freeway and screen walls could be used to block industrial or unsightly properties adjacent to the freeway. Participants of the CSWG identified aesthetic treatments for sound walls and screen walls. Screen walls could be made of perforated metal slats or other materials and also offer opportunity for community branding. To reduce maintenance, vines should be planted to minimize places for graffiti.

Landscaping on sound and screen wall

Perforated metal slats

Transparent sound wall

Other Freeway Enhancements

Arterials

The arterial roadways that have interchanges with the I-710 freeway corridor should be functional, pleasant, and safe for all modes. Community arterial toolbox options developed for the project could be used to enhance the freeway corridor.

Sustainability

Sustainability is an important element in the Toolbox. Renewable energy is one way to incorporate this into arterial improvements, bridges and overcrossings.

Example of distinctive lighting types for city arterials

Opportunity for city gateway monuments

Example of community branding on sound wall

Community Enhancements Opportunities for Greening

The project alternatives will provide opportunity areas for greening in and along the corridor. Among the opportunity areas are:

• Single point urban interchanges (SPUIs)

• Partial Cloverleaf Interchanges (PCIs)

• Freeway to Freeway Interchanges

• Vacated ramps and excess right-of-way

• Land adjacent to the Los Angeles River

• The community side of sound walls

The CSWG provided feedback on landscaping and encouraged the urban design team to include the following elements.

• Drought tolerant vegetation

• Lower-maintenance native and adaptive plants

• Plantings that change color with the seasons

• Water infiltration basins and/or bioswales

Landscaping

In addition to the overarching corridor aesthetic enhancement goals developed between the urban design team and CSWG, the design team introduced numerous examples and concepts for potential landscaping themes for the corridor. The CSWG reviewed and discussed treatments and plant types consistent with design themes related to the Los Angeles River, high tech elements and contemporary art inspiration. Two conceptual palettes emerged.

Stylistic Concept B

Stylistic Preliminary Primary Plant Palette:

Proposed concept: sound wall with vines

Proposed concept: sound wall with landscaping

Naturalistic Concept A

Naturalistic Preliminary Primary Plant Palette:

The I-710 Corridor Project EIR/EIS | Urban Design Toolbox

Urban Design and Aesthetic Concepts

Relief treated sound wall

Compact wind turbine Solar energy

This concept includes a naturalistic look incorporating native vegetation inspired from the plant palette in the Los Angeles River restoration plan. The planting scheme for this concept visually integrates the banks of the LA River with the freeway embankments, and includes dedicated native planting areas for the collection and infiltration of water runoff. Interchanges include planter areas that enhance the pedestrian experience on the over passes.

The proposed palette of plants includes:

Native Oaks, California Lilac, Coyote Bush and other native or LA River compatible plantings.

This concept uses tree and vegetation masses to create curvilinear form, resulting in a more contemporary aesthetic. The plant palette for this concept includes native and Mediterranean plants. Planter areas are used as traffic buffers for bicycle and pedestrian crossings, and dense planting provides a landscape buffer between the freeway and adjacent users.

The proposed palette of plants includes:

California Pepper Tree, Rosemary, Lantana, and other climbing vegetation.