Summit Calls for Unity to Speed Up State’s Recovery

Construction creates jobs.

But it’s tough to get large infrastructure projects going when they’re blocked by overly stringent environmental laws and state regulations that slow and sometimes halt the process.

That sentiment was expressed Thursday by several panelists at the Four Corners 2013 Economic Summit in Diamond Bar. The event at Diamond Bar Center featured a variety of experts in land use and transportation.

“The average turnaround time for a large infrastructure project in Southern California is about 17 years,” said Hasan Ikhrata, executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). “That is ridiculous.”