Alameda Corridor

The improvement of the environment, the creation of thousands of jobs, and the continued expansion of the largest port complex in our country by no means constitute a great train robbery as indicated in Epstein’s article.

Political rhetoric aside, the Alameda Corridor is considered by most to be the foremost infrastructure improvement project in our state. The environmental benefits are tremendous. Truck traffic from the ports will be reduced by 23%; traffic delays by 90% and locomotive hours of operation by 30%. In addition, train stoppages that can cause severe tie-ups on city streets will be reduced by 75% and train-related noise and vibration will be reduced by 50%.

The corridor will allow the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are considered the most technologically advanced ports in the world, to make an archaic local 19th-Century rail system into a 21st-Century state-of-the-art cargo transportation system. We are doing this so that we can continue to expand to meet the cargo demands of the future.

Economic benefits are also impressive. The project will generate 5,000 construction-related jobs. In addition, our port expansion plan will generate 700,000 new jobs in the five-county area and 2.2 million new jobs nationwide. Regionally, $69 billion in additional sales revenues and $2.2 billion in state and local taxes will be generated.

Clearly, the tentative agreement reached by the ports and the railroad does not benefit only one company.

RONALD S. LUSHING, President, L.A. Board of Harbor Commissioners