|
|
 |
 |
|
One of the best ways to decrease harbor congestion and air pollution is to use trains rather than trucks to move cargo. That is why we support the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) proposal to build a rail terminal a short hop from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
- Long Beach Press-Telegram editorial
May 10, 2007
read more >
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
SCIG will offer a number of important air quality, traffic, safety and economic benefits to port communities and the greater Los Angeles region. The facility will also maximize the benefits of rail, which is one of the most fuel efficient and cleanest forms of land transportation. Moreover, SCIG will incorporate environmentally friendly practices and technology.
AIR QUALITY BENEFITS
BNSF is committed to making SCIG the most environmentally-friendly intermodal rail facility in the country. SCIG will be the first intermodal facility in the nation to operate electric cranes, and BNSF is investigating multiple sequential low-emission, LNG or battery-powered Green Goat® switch engines, as well as LNG-fueled or equivalent hostling trucks, tractors and other rail yard equipment. In addition, BNSF has announced that it will ensure only clean trucks serve the facility, using designated non-residential routes that BNSF monitors for compliance.
With SCIG, train use of the Alameda Corridor would be increased, while at the same time, millions of truck miles annually would be eliminated from the 710 and other local freeways, improving air quality.
[Learn More about BNSF's Commitment to the Environment]
TRAFFIC BENEFITS
Currently, a large percentage of goods shipped into the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is transported by trucks. However, as the volume of goods arriving each year has increased, so has the congestion on such freeways as the I-710, I-110 and I-605. The SCIG facility will help improve this situation by eliminating millions of truck miles annually from the 710 freeway and other local freeways as trains carry goods through the Alameda Corridor.
According to a report by the research firm Demographia, a nationally recognized research firm, America’s railways have the potential to reduce future traffic congestion by removing more trailers from highways and placing them onto intermodal freight trains.
SAFETY BENEFITS
The I-710 freeway is used for more than half of the 34,000 daily truck trips in and out of the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) estimated that in 2000, almost one-third of the 2,094 accidents on a single 27-mile stretch of the I-710 involved trucks. By eliminating millions of truck miles annually from the 710 freeway, SCIG could help reduce accidents and contribute to improved traffic safety.
LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
SCIG will help the ports accommodate the increasing amount of cargo and will generate additional trade revenue for California and the nation. The ports and shippers benefit because the SCIG facility would:
- Accommodate the forecasted growth at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
- Use more of the capacity of the Alameda Corridor
- Further diversify the modes of transportation for intercontinental cargo, giving shippers more options and increased efficiency of delivery
- Ensure that California remains economically competitive for decades to come with other ports based on the West, Gulf and East Coasts
- Provide shippers and steamship companies with additional much needed near-dock capacity in the Los Angeles Basin
|
|
|
