Port of Long Beach proposes on-dock rail

Port of Long Beach proposes on-dock rail    The Port of Long Beach said Monday it will begin public hearings this week on a proposal to increase the use of 'on-dock' trains and reduce the need for drayage in and around the port.
   The port is proposing what it calls an On-Dock Rail Support Facility. The project entails redeveloping and expanding an existing rail support facility near Ninth Street and Pier B Avenue on the northern side of the port. The project would connect to the Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile freight rail corridor connecting the Southern California ports to rail yards near downtown Los Angeles.
   The two public hearings on the rail facility will occur Sept. 2 and 16, the first at Long Beach City Hall and the second at the port's headquarters.
   The port has released a 'Notice of Preparation,' on the proposal, the first step in a state environmental review process to get the project approved. During the NOP phase, the public is invited to suggest issues to be examined in the draft Environmental Impact Report.
   The full Notice of Preparation is available online.