Alameda Corridor Pays Tribute To Svorinich

Alameda Corridor Pays Tribute To Svorinich

JUNE 14, 2001

LOS ANGELES COUNTY–  City and Port officials from Long Beach and Los Angeles and elected officials from the region paid tribute Thursday to Los Angeles City Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr., the outgoing Chairman and eight-year member of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) Governing Board.

Svorinich leaves the Los Angeles City Council on June 30 because of term limits and therefore must relinquish his ACTA post.  Svorinich, who served four terms as Chairman of the Governing Board, played key roles generating political support for the project, evaluating proposals for major contracts and monitoring construction progress – helping to transform the Alameda Corridor from a planning project to a full-scale construction project that is on budget and on schedule to open in April 2002.

“We will miss Councilman Svorinich for not only his steady support but also his leadership and institutional knowledge of the project,” ACTA Chief Executive Officer James C. Hankla said.

Among the many tributes and letters of thanks to Svorinich from elected officials was an entry in the Congressional Record by Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Long Beach, acknowledging his contributions.

Svorinich, whose 15th Council District includes the Port of Los Angeles, called the project “a huge undertaking that will provide widespread benefits to not only the ports, but all of Southern California and the rest of the nation by improving the flow of goods.  I am particularly proud that the project is providing job training to 1,000 local residents and employing many disadvantaged businesses in the region; these are tangible benefits for real people and real companies.”

Svorinich added:  “I am honored to have had this opportunity to contribute to a project of such significance, and I am confident the Alameda Corridor is in good hands.  I look forward to attending the grand opening next April.”

ACTA, a partnership between the ports and cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is building a 20-mile-long railroad cargo expressway from the ports to the transcontinental rail yards near downtown Los Angeles. The $2.4 billion project will speed the flow of cargo and reduce traffic congestion by eliminating conflicts at more than 200 street-level railroad crossings.