Traffic congestion costs the U.S. economy $200 billion per year. Why mess with a good thing?

From the Earth First! Newswire:

In the latest confrontation over a proposed railyard on Long Beach’s western border, more than 100 people rallied to oppose the project Thursday night [Oct 18]before a public hearing. …

Burlington Northern Santa Fe wants to build the 153-acre Southern California International Gateway railyard in Wilmington near the Terminal Island (103) Freeway, south of Sepulveda Boulevard, north of Pacific Coast Highway and east of Alameda Street.

The proposed $500 million railyard would pass by five schools, a day care center and homeless housing for veterans, opponents say. Some of the neighborhoods that would be most affected are in West Long Beach, an area that already experiences unusually high asthma and other health problems.

Read the full story here. Note that this project is being billed as a way to reduce freight traffic on highways in the region. While the project’s backers are saying that makes it an eco-friendly measure, we know better, right?