Alameda Corridor Governing Board Elects Colonna As Chairman, Names Hahn As Vice Chairwoman, Welcomes Supervisor Knabe As New Member

Alameda Corridor Governing Board Elects Colonna As Chairman, Names Hahn As Vice Chairwoman, Welcomes Supervisor Knabe As New Member

JULY 12, 2001

LOS ANGELES COUNTY–  The Governing Board of the agency overseeing construction of the Alameda Corridor rail cargo expressway named a new chairman and welcomed two new board members Thursday.

Long Beach City Councilman Frank A. Colonna was elected chairman of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) Governing Board by unanimous vote.  Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn joined the Governing Board as the Los Angeles City Council’s representative and was elected vice chairwoman.  Also joining the board was Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.  He succeeds Supervisor Yvonne Burke as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s representative on the ACTA Governing Board.  Knabe previously served as Burke’s alternate.

Colonna, who had served as vice chairman for the past year, succeeds Rudy Svorinich Jr. as chairman and will serve for the next year.  A successful real estate broker and former Director of Environmental Health for the City of Long Beach, Colonna was elected to the Long Beach City Council in 1998.

“It is an honor and privilege to represent ACTA during this exciting period as the project enters its final stages and approaches on-time and on-budget completion,” Colonna said.  “I look forward to working with the Governing Board and ACTA staff.”

Hahn succeeds Svorinich as the Los Angeles City Council’s representative on the ACTA Governing Board.  Hahn was elected in June in the harbor-area 15th Council District.  The sister of newly elected Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, she has a long history of civic involvement throughout the district.  Most recently, she served as Public Affairs Region Manager for Southern California Edison, monitoring legislation and providing service to communities throughout the South Bay.

“I’m exceptionally pleased to serve the Alameda Corridor because this project will have widespread benefits not only for constituents in my district but also for all of Los Angeles, Southern California and the nation,” Hahn said.

Knabe was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in the 4th District in 1996 and re-elected to a second term in 2000.  Previously, he was chief of staff to 4th District Supervisor Deane Dana.  Knabe also served as a member of the Cerritos City Council from 1980 to 1988.

“The Alameda Corridor is a project of national significance, and I am proud to join the Governing Board and am committed to doing whatever I can to ensure its continued success,” Knabe said.

ACTA, a joint-powers authority of the cities and ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is building a 20-mile railroad cargo expressway linking the ports to transcontinental rail yards east of downtown Los Angeles.  It will speed the flow of cargo to and from the ports and ease traffic congestion by eliminating more than 200 at-grade crossings.  Construction on the $2.4 billion project began in 1997.  It is scheduled to open in April 2002.

Besides Colonna, Hahn and Knabe, other members of the ACTA Governing Board includes Port of Los Angeles Commissioner Jonathan Y. Thomas; Port of Long Beach Commissioner Roy Hearrean; Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard Steinke, and Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Larry Keller.