So. Calif. Counties Bid for Jobs, Freight Yards

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AN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Owners of two former Air Force bases are in negotiations with the two largest U.S. freight railroads to build intermodal exchange facilities here that would distribute cargo from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach across the nation.

A third major competitor for the attention of railroads is a local Indian tribe that has said it seeks to diversify the source of its income from reliance on its casino.

While some communities have shunned transportation facilities, this area of Southern California sees freight transportation as a significant potential source of good jobs and is offering itself as a suitable location for railyards in need of reasonable access to major ocean ports.

The winner of either facility would get an economic boost that would pump millions of dollars into the local economy and create hundreds of jobs, said John Husing, an economist with Economics & Politics Inc. in Redlands.

For the full story, see the May 31 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.