CONNECT
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2016 Grants Challenge

The GRID Project: Let's create 50K jobs building great things to reduce air pollution & FWY gridlock

Cleantech infrastructure that connects container cargo between ships, trains, trucks and warehouses while adding value to people's lives all along Greater LA's trading corridors.

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Are any other organizations collaborating on this proposal?

GRID Logistics Inc. is a Los Angeles Cleantech Portfolio Company and has been collaborating with the GRID Project since mid 2013.

Please describe your project proposal.

GRID's Project proposal begins with the need for an independent evaluation of the GRID Project, ideally from regional stakeholders in the form of political, business, labor, environmental, and social justice quarters. GRID seeks support through its affiliation with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and its surrounding community stakeholders to include education, and neighborhood councils.

Which of the CONNECT metrics will your proposal impact?​

Travel time to work

Participation in neighborhood councils

In what areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?

East LA

San Gabriel Valley

South LA

Gateway Cities

County of Los Angeles

City of Los Angeles

LAUSD

Describe in greater detail how your proposal will make LA the best place to CONNECT?

Once the envisioned GRID infrastructure becomes operational, the most visually and physically impacting characteristic to the citizens of Greater Los Angeles will be the immediate reduction of trucks travelling to and from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. These impacts will mostly be felt on freeway networks directly north and northeast of the ports. The most non-visual impact will be the privately financed contribution to building transportation infrastructure (estimated at $18B) that will create 10's of thousands of jobs, primarily jobs in the fields of construction and alternative energy infrastructure. We apply jobs created as a CONNECT LA benefit because GRID's proposed infrastructure are within the very neighborhoods we hope to grow jobs; adjacent to workers reducing commuting times required to travelling to and from work. But it's the byproducts of the GRID Project that will have the most impact to CONNECT LA. For historical reference, in 1984, Mayor Tom Bradley and Olympic Games chief Peter Ueberroth forged an agreement to suspend deliveries of containers on trucks travelling to and from the Ports of LA and Long Beach. The move was a success and the 'LA Traffic Miracle' reported to have reduced LA's freeway traffic congestion by over 50%. The advent of freight pipelines is envisioned to become the 2nd iteration of freeway rights of way to increase efficient traffic flow for the Greater Los Angeles mega-region. However, freight pipelines with not have the impact freeway construction has had over the last 70 years. Natural effects of efficiency for freight transportation are anticipated to greatly enhance other aspects of our regional transportation transportation networks (i.e. cars, bike lanes, walkways). GRID proposers anticipate this new iteration of urban transportation (controlling truck populations) will have significant knock on effects to the point that more pipelines routes will developed. Motivations will be concession revenues, carbon tax credit opportunities, continued support from environmental, social justice groups and labor unions, and business interests primarily from the construction and renewable energy sector.

Please explain how you will define and measure success for your project.​

GRID has already succeeded claiming its proper place in Greater LA's history as 'The' Pioneer in regional holistic 'Cleantech' solution RE: the container supply chain in this 21st Century. GRID first presented its vision project at the Transportation & Infrastructure Convention in Washington D.C. in early 2011. In late 2011, GRID was the very 1st transportation mega-infrastructure proposal to be given a resolution for support by Sierra Club. In 2012, GRID was rejected by PortTechLA for membership & also rejected from the newly opened LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI). So GRID moved on & was joined in support by LIUNA the LA/OC Building Trades, the International Brotherhood of TEAMSTERS & the Equipment Operators Unions. In mid-2013, GRID re-applied to LACI & was accepted. GRID's next goal was to obtain an independent evalution of GRID's viability & received assistance from California University of Northridge School of Engineering who assisted GRID to submit a grant application for Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER). GRID succeeded in receiving letters of support from key elected officials to include members of congress Janice Hahn, Adam Schiff, and CA Pro Tem Senator Kevin De Leon. Unfortunately, the GRID study failed to win the grant lacking local support. At this time GRID's success can only be measured by the resistance GRID has experienced from entrenched interests. Without independent evaluation success to build is TBD.

How can the LA2050 community and other stakeholders help your proposal succeed?

Advisors/board members

Publicity/awareness

Community outreach

Network/relationship support