Challenge to Alameda Corridor Panel Rejected

The state Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the structure of the board of Los Angeles’ $2-billion Alameda Corridor project, cementing Los Angeles’ and Long Beach’s control over the rail-cargo facilities.

South Gate and other smaller cities along the planned route of the 20-mile rail artery had sued Los Angeles and Long Beach, which have provided most of the project’s funding, to allow them more control over how the money would be spent. A three-judge panel of the court of appeals dismissed the lawsuit last October, and the Supreme Court’s decision July 30 allows that ruling to stand.

The legal battle had not halted engineering work, but the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority still faces litigation with two other cities that fear the project will cause traffic congestion, corridor officials said.