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Alameda Corridor Exec Says Adding SR 47 1.7 Mile "Truck Expressway" Might Reduce 710 Fwy Truck Traffic About 10%; More Reductions Depend On Changes to Transportation System
(May 28, 2003) -- The Alameda Corridor, one of the biggest public works projects in the history of the country ($2.4 billion, of which $1.1 billion comes from revenues from bond sales, with the bonds paid from fees paid by railroads) might reduce 710 freeway truck traffic by about 10% if nearly half a billion dollars more are spent to improve roughly 1.7 miles for trucks, but probably can't do more without major changes to the transportation system, a top official of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) has told a LB community meeting.
Addressing a "Town Hall" meeting at Veterans Park in the Wrigley area, ACTA Director of Administration Peter Mandia said:
We think there are a series of projects to accommodate Port growth: the rail corridor, some improvements to the 710, we think some improvements on Alameda Street. Have any of you driven north of Pacific Coast Highway on Alameda to the 10 [freeway]? It's a wonderful street [city of LB, L.A., L.A. County have put together over $200 million in improvements on Alameda north of PCH to the 10 fwy]...In some places it's three lanes wide. We believe that that's a good opportunity to take some -- not a lot, I mean maybe 10% -- but if we were to complete the project that we call the Alameda Corridor "truck expressway" [proposed improvement of roughly 1.7 miles of SR 47 between Terminal Island and PCH incl. replacement of Heim bridge], we think that will divert probably about 10% of the truck traffic on the 710. It is not intended to be an alternative. It is not intended to be a new freeway. It is intended to be part of a system solution to the trucks coming in and out of the Ports, one part. Mr. Mandia said the 1.7 mile "truck expressway" is "about a $440 million project...If all the pieces come together, the project probably could be done in about four years. Based on our traffic analysis, it could take up to 10% of the Port related trucks [as a Port speaker indicated about 50% of the 710 trucks are port related] off the 710 freeway..."
He added, "We think there are significant congestion relief with that. It isn't 100% to take off everything from the freeway, but it provides congestion relief."
Mr. Mandia said another project ACTA is studying is a "shuttle system to take trains, load them at the ports, take them up the Corridor to an inland port terminal, offload them onto rubber tires [trucks] and bring them back into the five counties [local area]."
Mr. Mandia made his statements in the presence of four Councilmembers present at the May 27 Wrigley area meeting: Bonnie Lowenthal, Tonia Mr. Mandia added that ACTA also advocates "24/7" 'round the clock port operations.
He summed up:
Some excerpts of audience Q & A:
Mr. Kerry Cartwright, P.E., Mgr. Transportation Planning, Port of LB: Actually, when the Alameda Corridor concept was first conceived probably 20 years ago, they were looking at the Truck Expressway [original version, up to the 10 fwy], and in fact, when they tested it in a Mr. Mandia [ACTA]: It is important to emphasize that the Alameda Corridor truck expressway [current 1.7 mile proposed SR 47 project] is not a panacea, it's not the alternative to improvements to the 710. It is intended to be part of a larger system solution. 10% of the trucks is a big number, and it's designed for at least that, and it is part of the total package that we've discussed...
Q: Why not make Alameda double deck, southbound top, northbound bottom?
Mr. Cartwright: Well, as I said it was looked at 20 years ago and ultimately was abandoned and for obvious reasons, and the other reason is it did not actually solve a lot of the problems in this entire corridor, and that's one of the reasons it was abandoned.
Mr. Mandia: All that is correct [but] there's another element I'll recognize. The concepts that have been presented for the development of the 710, they're three or four billion dollars. It's a lot of money. It's not there. I don't know where it is in the federal government or state government, and we're looking for solutions now. The double decking of Alameda St. might be feasible, but it's going to cost three or four billion dollars, and I don't know where it is. Somebody's got to pay for it, but it's not around..
[Several audience calls, including LBReport.com:] "The shippers..."
Mr. Mandia: Well,...[begins to answer, but interrupted by another question]...
Q [Wrigley neighborhood activist Alan Tolkoff]: ...Does anyone on the panel believe that the air quality will be mitigated that's created by the additional truck traffic? So do any of you believe that, yes or no?
Mr. Mandia; Yeah, I believe it.
Q [Mr. Tolkoff]: You think it will be? It'll be zero'd out?
Mr. Mandia: You want me to explain? ...[T]he science says that moving trucks pollute less than stopped trucks. As time passes, 2006, the emission standards for diesel are going to be much, much stricter, and we're buying up the old trucks.
Q: [Los Cerritos activist Mike Kowal]: Will the air be better at the end of the day than it is right now?
Mr. Mandia: Well that's what it's designed to be, yes.
Councilwoman Related LBReport.com coverage:
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