The 405 freeway has long been
considered an important artery in Los Angeles. Starting with it's construction
in 1960, the Sepulveda Canyon that separates Los Angeles from the San Fernando
Valley was widened to allow for an eight lane super highway to be constructed.
The plan was to relieve the traffic snarls that plagued "The Old Road"
(Sepulveda Blvd), and the building of a freeway would allow traffic to flow through better.
405 Freeway looking north to the Sepulveda Pass 1962
What city officials didn't
anticipate was an explosion in population that would overwhelm the freeway, and
contribute to the air pollution in the future. The aging freeway was revamped and repaired during the infamous "Carmageddon" construction of 2011/2012 but there is still the issue of pollution that the freeway causes. The pollution from the cars gets
trapped between the hills of the pass, and it stays there. In cities that are
beside the 405, the pollution makes its way into the communities, and affects
the health of the residents.
405 Freeway Present Day
In Fox Hills,
residents found that asthma in the children who lived along the freeway was on
the rise. From the study listed in the article below, it states that
"Ultrafine particles have been suggested as a possible causative agent for
increases in mortality and morbidity, particle number concentration near the
freeway was approximately 25 times greater than that at background locations”.
Concentration of pollution near the freeways are causing health problems and
ultimately a shorter lifespan for people.
Nov. 8, 2017 is
World Urbanism Day/World Town Planning Day and it was created to raise awareness on urban planning and creating livable
communities. The day is meant to focus on the environmental impact of urban development. Through it's members, the American Planning Association focuses on how to improve the lives of those who live in urban areas, and the environment as a whole.
Is it too late to apply environmental sustainability to the 405? Perhaps, but the freeway also has a lesson for us all about what can happen if we don’t anticipate the future and develop a better respect for the environment.
Celebrating on the 405 N at the end of "Carmageddon II: The 405 Freeway Closure"
(2012)
