The Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles and the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority aren't the only ones looking at a Zero Emissions Container Mover System. A green cargo moving system is also under consideration as one component for the proposed expansion of the Long Beach (710) freeway.

The draft environmental document assessing the impacts of the proposed massive project and related mitigation measures is due to be released for public review in September. An initial feasibility study completed in April 2009 indicates that such an alternative cargo moving system extending to rail yards in East Los Angeles could take up to eight years to develop and deploy. Depending on the technology, estimated costs range from $3.8 billion to $11.2 billion to design and build the project and from $36 million to $352 million for the first year of operations and maintenance.

Separately, the Southern California Association of Governments is preparing a goods movement plan and evaluating the prospects for a region-wide ZECMS.

-- The Cunningham Report