A stretch of Southern California highway has officially been named after President Barack Obama.
Signs announcing President Barack H. Obama Highway on the 134 Freeway from State Route 2 in Glendale to Interstate 210 in Pasadena were installed this week, according to media reports.
The renaming was the result of a resolution introduced to the California State Legislature by state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles. Bill Daley, who was President Obama’s White House chief of staff in 2011, proposed Friday that the Dan Ryan Expressway on Chicago’s South Side be renamed for America’s 44th president.
President Obama attended Occidental College, located in Pasadena not far from the 134 Freeway, and lived in Pasadena his sophomore year. The highway also runs past Rancho Cienga Park, which is where President Obama held a campaign rally on Feb. 20, 2007.
Portantino mentions:
“The President has often mentioned his fond memories of living in Pasadena and attending Occidental College, so it was very appropriate to name the portion of the freeway he traveled after him. Our community came together to make this happen. It is an honor to be in a position to have helped facilitate this wonderful symbol of our collective respect for the grace and dignity embodied by our 44th President.”
