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Congressman Sherman Praises Success of 405 Expansion on Three-Year Anniversary

May 23, 2017

Calls on Trump to Expedite Development of Subway through Sepulveda Pass

Sherman OaksCongressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), who worked with former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and others in securing federal funds for the new northbound lane on the 405 freeway, issued the following statement on the 3-year anniversary of the opening of the new lane:

"The success of this project is more evident than ever. With lower gas prices and increased employment, there are now more cars on the road than ever before. If we hadn't built the lane, travel through the Sepulveda pass would be far worse. A study from last year showed that without the new lane, motorists would spend 6,000 more hours each day creeping through the Sepulveda Pass.[1]

"Los Angeles voters voted to increase the local sales tax to finance dozens of projects, most notably the Sepulveda Pass subway. The project can be built sooner with an infusion of federal dollars. If President Trump is truly committed to improving America's infrastructure, I can think of no greater place to start than with the nation's most congested roadway."

Background:

Congressman Brad Sherman and his colleagues were instrumental in securing funding for these projects at both the state and federal level. In 1998, Sherman secured federal funds for planning improvements to the Sepulveda Pass bottleneck. In 2003, Senator Barbara Boxer, and Congressman Brad Sherman worked together to secure a $117 million federal earmark to construct an additional northbound lane on the 405 Freeway. Sherman and then Congressman Howard Berman both testified for the 405 project on April 1, 2003, before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. Sherman lobbied his colleagues intensely until the final bill was passed in July of 2005.

Sherman then worked with several prominent advocates of the project, including Mayor Villaraigosa and Supervisor Gloria Molina (then Chair of the Metro Board), to secure $614 million in state bond funding. On February 20, 2007, Congressman Sherman traveled to Sacramento with Mayor Villaraigosa and local officials in a successful effort to persuade the California Transportation Commission to provide $614 million, the largest piece of the project's funding. Sherman was the only member of Congress to testify at this critical hearing of the California Transportation Commission.