Cargo slows roads
An SUV fights for space on the northbound 710 Freeway, the main artery for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The complex handles 44% of all goods imported by cargo container into the United States, which is of value to the economy but is paralyzing traffic on the region’s roads. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
Stacks of cargo containers pile up at the Port of Long Beach. Studies show that as much as 80% of containerized goods that arrive in Los Angeles and Long Beach are taken out of state, with the first leg of the trip often involving the regions truck routes, particularly the 710, 91, 60 and 10 freeways. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
As the sun sets, a driver secures his truck after loading up in Long Beach. Last year, the equivalent of 16 million 20-foot shipping containers poured through the ports, with most then moving along the regions highways before heading into the nations interior. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
The volume of cargo, which has tripled in the last two decades, is forecast to almost triple again in the next 20 years. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
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Some of the containers are loaded onto trains in port for direct shipment out of state. Most are picked up by big rigs; in 2006, trucks averaged about 39,000 trips per day on the 710 Freeway. (Richard Hartog/Los Angeles Times)
Drivers stuck in traffic on the 10 Freeway near the 215 in Riverside contend with trucks for space. “Goods movement is vital to the California economy,” said a former official with the Southern California Assn. of Governments. “There will be more congestion, delay, noise and health-threatening emissions unless we can come up with more efficient ways of moving freight.” (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
