The reopening of Stampede Pass means more rail traffic through Auburn and other cities along the mainline, causing legitimate concern among city leaders about the impacts on their communities. Those are some of the transportation problems we face in our region. Elsewhere, our competitors on the West Coast are investing heavily in new port facilities and transportation connections that could further weaken our competitive edge. The nation's biggest ports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, long have been hampered by an inefficient maze of rail lines between the ports and the railroad mainline. Thousands of truck trips are required each day to move cargo between the harbors and the main switching yards.
Rail lines cross busy streets at hundreds of locations.
Large shippers are naturally attracted to the huge southern California regional market, with a population of more than 25 million. Even with the disadvantages of sluggish transportation and high costs, the southern California ports have seen record growth in container shipping volume this year. Many major shipping lines are clamoring for more terminal space. Once the Alameda Corridor is complete, the Puget Sound region will face a direct threat to our long-held advantages of speedy movement of cargo. To the north, Vancouver has recently opened a new 100-acre container terminal at Roberts Bank.