The following definitions will help you to define the various agencies and groups involved in the 710 Freeway fight.

ACHP

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. This federal agency consists of 20 members, and represents federal, state and local governmental offices, and other constituencies, in reviewing federally funded projects that have adverse effects on historic resources. The ACHP cannot formally block an historically destructive project, but it can refer it to the CEQ (see below) and also issue adverse comments that as a practical matter can frustrate harmful transportation projects because of "Section 4f" (see below).

AQMD

South Coast Air Quality Management District. The AQMD reviews important projects, including the Route 710 extension, for compliance with the federal 1990 Clean Air Act. Without such compliance, the project cannot be authorized.

Caltrans

California Department of Transportation. The state's highway department is divided into districts, with District 7 responsible for projects in Los Angeles County. Caltrans proposes freeway and other transportation projects, and is responsible for preparing the EIS and/or EIR (see below) on those with significant effect on the environment.

CEQ

President's Council on Environmental Quality. This 3-member panel and its staff interpret NEPA (see below) and also resolve environmental disputes among federal agencies. Under legislation now before Congress, CEQ's role may be reassigned to the Executive Office of the President and the Environmental Protection Agency.

CEQA

California Environmental Quality Act. CEQA, which became law in 1970, requires EIRs (see below) and efforts to avoid harm from all projects with significant effects on the environment.

CMP

Congestion Management Plan. Required by the state, the CMP identifies significan streets and highways for improvement to reduce or eliminate congestion. Within South Pasadena and Alhambra, Fremont Avenue is identified on the CMP for congestion control.

CTC

California Transportation Commission. This 9-member body, appointed by the Governor with two legislators sitting in ex officio, is responsible for approving EIRs (see below) and selecting routes proposed for freeways, and for approving the state's comprehensive transportation funding program.

Db(A)

Noise measurement in decibels in the "A" weighting level. Cities use 65 Db(A) as the highest level that a community can tolerate and is therefore allowed to reach. Federal highway planners, however, use a different scale, which translates into a finding of 69 Db(A) as acceptable for freeway noise levels.

EIR

Environmental Impact Report. This is the formal environmental assessment, including a discussion of project impacts, project alternatives, and response to public comments, as required by the CEQA (see above) state law.

EIS

Environmental Impact Statement. This is the formal environmental assessment that is virtually idential to the EIR (see above), but required by NEPA (see below) federal law.

FHWA

Federal Highway Administration. This is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The FHWA administrator is appointed by the President, while the majority of staff members are civil servants. FHWA has been delegated the authority to approve or reject EISs and requests for federal funding of highway projects such as the Route 710 extension.

Freeway Agreements

California law generally requires that each city consent to a freeway before it can be built through that city. However, in 1982, AB 1623 (sponsored by then Assemblyman Marty Martinez) created a 1-time exemption from freeway agreements for the Route 710 alternative selected within three years. Because Caltrans now has abandoned the Meridian Route selected for Route 710 in 1984, South Pasadena and the California legislature's council believe that freeway agreements are once again required as a prerequisite to construction of the Route 710 extension.

HOV

High Occupancy Vehicle. A vehicle carrying many passengers, such as a bus, vanpool, or private carpool. HOV lanes are designated for use by such vehicles.

LOS

Level of Service. Transportation planners use this alphabetic scale to assign the "level of service" for streets and freeways. LOS "A" is the best level, with freely flowing traffic. LOS "G" is gridlock. LOS "F" is slow-moving stop-and-go traffic, and that is the level that Caltrans predicts will occur on the Route 710 extension on the very day it opens.

MTA

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. A 1992 state law merged the former Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Rapid Transit District to form the MTA, the largest transportation authority in the nation. The MTA is responsible for Los Angels County project planning and funding recommendations to the state's CTC (see above).

NEPA

The National Environmental Policy Act. Signed into law by President Nixon in 1970, NEPA requires that federal funding and federal approval of environmentally significant projects be subject to the formal environmental assessment of an EIS, and a "record of decision" (ROD) explaining why less harmful alternatives were not selected.

SCAG

Southern California Association of Governments. As the regional planning organization, SCAG is responsible under federal law for evaluating projects such as the Route 710 extension for compliance with mobility and air quality plans.

Section 4f

A provision of the federal Department of Transportation Act, added in 1964, Section 4f forbids the use of federal transportation funds for projects that harm historic or recreational resources unless there is no feasible and prudent alternative, and all possible planning to avoid the harm.

STIP