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Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility

September 2022 Updates

On May 11, 2022, the Bureau of Engineering held a public hearing for the local coastal development permit (CDP) application No. 21-04. See the public hearing materials below:

The public comment period ended on May 18, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.

On June 28, 2022, the Bureau of Engineering issued the Notice of Decision approving local CDP No. 21-04 and starting the 10-day appeal period. BOE also released the Final Staff Report. See the Notice of Decision and Final Staff Report below.

The period  to appeal this decision closed on July 8, 2022.

On July 13, 2022, the Bureau of Engineering submitted the Notice of Permit Issuance to the California Coastal Commission and to the applicant, the Port of Long Beach. The proposed development is in the dual permit jurisdiction area and will require an additional permit from the California Coastal Commission upon the expiration of the 20-working day appeal period. The 20-working day appeal period closed on September 8, 2022. See the Notice of Permit Issuance and the Coastal Development Permit below.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Lauren Rhodes, Environmental Specialist II
Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Management Group
lauren.rhodes@lacity.org

Project Information

The Port of Long Beach (POLB) has applied for a local coastal development permit (CDP) from the City of Los Angeles for the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, CDP No. 21-04. The purposes of the proposed Project are to: (a) provide a sufficient facility to accommodate the expected demand of cargo to be moved via on-dock rail into the foreseeable future; (b) maximize on-dock intermodal operations to reach the long- term goal of 30 to 35 percent of cargo containers to be handled by on-dock rail; (c) provide a facility that can accept and handle longer container trains; and (d) provide a rail yard that is cost effective and fiscally prudent. The proposed Project would respond to three areas of need: (a) more efficient and rational rail operations, both within and to/from the San Pedro Bay Ports complex; (b) address the physical deficiencies and shortcomings of the existing Pier B Rail Yard with respect to supporting on-dock rail operations; and (c) address local roadway deficiencies and enhance utilities and aging infrastructure.

The Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support Facility Program (Program) includes reconfiguring, expanding, and enhancing the capacity of the existing Pier B Rail Yard Facility. The Program will provide a marshaling area to receive and manage the intermodal rail volume growth, provide a destination for westbound trains that currently are not able to enter the port when on‑dock track space is unavailable, and allow multiple marine terminals to send small cuts of rail cars to be assembled into destination trains.

Project elements anticipated within the City of Los Angeles includes the following items:

  • Realign the existing ACTA mainline tracks to accommodate the enhanced rail yard.
  • Widen the existing Dominguez Channel Bridge to accommodate an additional track.
  • Provide pier protection walls for existing SR-103 (Terminal Island Freeway) and Anaheim Street Overcrossing bridge columns.
  • Reconfigure existing tracks and add additional tracks to allow five arrival/departure tracks with direct connection to the ACTA mainline tracks.
  • Realign/reconfigure the Long Beach Lead tracks and the TILT tracks.
  • Provide enhanced rail signal facilities.
  • Provide additional switching leads and rail car storage and staging tracks.
  • Provide a potential locomotive layover/fueling facility north of Anaheim Street.
  • Provide potential ancillary yard facilities including material storage and laydown areas and office facilities.
  • Provide site grading and drainage enhancements to accommodate the enhanced rail yard.
  • Provide LID improvements to minimize the impact of the proposed development on the environment, including water quality BMPs to treat runoff from the proposed project.
  • Widen and realign Pier B Street (a publicly accessible private street) to enhance safety and accommodate the expanded rail yard.
  • Provide street lighting and drainage.
  • Reconfigure the east end of the Mead Yard rail facility to accommodate the Pier B Rail Yard improvements.
  • Reconfigure the Anaheim Way at-grade rail crossing to accommodate the rail yard improvements, including potential at-grade crossing warning devices.
  • Reconfigure the Anaheim Way and Pier B Street intersection to accommodate the realigned Pier B Street.
  • Reconstruct Anaheim Way and Farragut Street: The intersection of Anaheim Way and Farragut Street would be widened/realigned to make room for proposed new Heavy Haul Route.  Reclassify Anaheim Way and Farragut Street from local streets to collector streets and include both streets in the City of Los Angeles Overweight Vehicle Special Permit Routes. The realignment will accommodate oversized truck turning movements along Anaheim Way from Pier B Street to Farragut Avenue. The alternative route for oversized trucks accessing the (Port) via Farragut Avenue-Anaheim Way-Anaheim Street will replace the 9th Street at-grade crossing route scheduled to be permanently closed under the Pier B On-Dock Rail Facility Program.  
  • Provide a new entrance to the Valero facility from existing Pier B Street.
  • Provide new rail yard lighting.
  • Provide new yard air system including air compressor building.
  • Provide yard access and maintenance roadways within the rail yard.
  • Provide landscaping enhancements at key locations.
  • Relocate/protect in place impacted public utilities.
  • Relocate/protect in place impacted third-party utilities.
  • Vacate Grant Street, Schley Avenue, MacDonough Avenue, Cushing Avenue, Southern Pacific Drive, Sampson Avenue, and Pennington Avenue south of Grant Street, north of Southern Pacific Railroad tracks between Pennington Avenue and Foote Avenue for the expansion of trains and train tracks in the reconfigured, expanded and enhanced Pier B Rail Yard facility.

The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project was certified by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners in 2018. The Draft and Final EIR documents for the Project are available on the Port’s website at https://www.polb.com/ceqa.