Mitigating the Social and Environmental Impacts of Multimodal Freight Corridor Operations at Southern California Ports

The San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP) of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California are one of the major container port complexes in the world: in 2004, for example, the SPBP processed over 36% of the U.S. container trade. However, the SPBP complex is also a major source of air pollution caused largely, on the land-side, by diesel locomotives and trucks that transport containers to and from the ports. The resulting annual health costs may exceed $2.5 billion. Low income and minority communities along the major Alameda corridor, a 20-mile railroad line that connects the SPBP to the transcontinental rail network east of downtown Los Angeles, are particular affected. This study will create a tool that will quantify links between SPBP freight traffic, air pollution, and the health of local communities. This tool will help evaluate the effectiveness of various alternatives (such as congestion pricing to decrease peak container traffic flows, biofuels for trucks and locomotives, or intermodal and route shifting of container traffic) in order to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of SPBP activities. Expected results include new insights into the spatial, socioeconomic, public health, and social justice consequences of alternative SPBP multimodal freight operations strategies.