Alameda Corridor: Linking National Rail Network to Local Ports

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan is right when he says that the California Gold Rush will pale in comparison to the lasting boom that will come by linking our local ports directly to the national rail network with the Alameda Corridor.

Why is this agreement so important?

It comes down to jobs. One Southland job in six is either directly or indirectly linked to our ports. Tens of thousands of workers, whether they are longshore people or export finance bankers, rely on cargo moving smoothly from the ships to the docks and into the national marketplace.

The cheapest, fastest, cleanest and most efficient way to move cargo to and from our ports is by rail. The Alameda Corridor will link the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the national rail network, allowing them to double the amount of cargo they can handle over the next 20 years.

Without an agreement by all three railroads to pay a user fee, funding for the Alameda Corridor would be uncertain. Now we can move ahead.

The federal government set aside $9 million in National Highway System funds to begin work on the project. This means that Washington views the Alameda Corridor as a project of national importance.

Banks, bonds and leverage financing are all possible now that there is a user-fee formula on which to base income projections. The collective leadership in the region must move into high gear on turning talk into action in the financing of this project.

Our people deserve the economic promise that the Alameda Corridor offers. Thousands of construction jobs and countless new businesses will depend on our speedy action to get things going, now that this agreement has been reached.

We will break ground on the Alameda Corridor this year, turning this project from a dream into the centerpiece of Southern California’s economic rebirth.

BETTY KARNETTE

Assemblywoman, 54th District