The ceremony is scheduled to feature remarks from representatives from the various government, community, and industry groups who have shown support for the station development over the past decade. With such a lengthy time spent in the development and funding phases, the City now stands ready to both celebrate and commemorate this important grand opening occasion with a gathering of approximately 100 stakeholders for the mid-morning program. Speakers scheduled to participate include:
• City of Commerce Mayor Tina Baca Del Rio
• Claude McFerguson, Acting Director, City of Commerce Transportation Department
• La Ronda Bowen, Small Business Ombudsman, California Air Resources Board
• Ray Tellis, Federal Transit Administration Team Leader, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Samara Emmersen, Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee
• Erik Neandross, Project Director, Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor
• Robert Curry, President & Chief Executive Officer, California Cartage Company
• Luis Cabrales, Deputy Director of Campaigns, Coalition for Clean Air
The ribbon cutting will mark the opening of the station as a critical link in supporting alternative fuel infrastructure along a busy thoroughfare and in an industrialized region of Eastern Los Angeles County. With 1,000 new LNG trucks currently being deployed in the nearby Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the timing of this important LNG/LCNG fueling station development project is ideal. This station will allow for the continued growth of ultra low emission natural gas
vehicles throughout the region, contributing to improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and a lessened dependence upon petroleum fuels for transportation.
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The station is located in an industrialized region at the intersection of Interstates 5 and 710 and at the entrance to two of the largest intermodal rail yards in the nation. This easily accessible location, plus the added benefit of public access and availability of fuel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will allow the station to play a key role in the continued development of the Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor (ICTC)--the most successful planned clean fuel corridor in the United State. The ICTC operates with the goal of fostering alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure development linking Los Angeles, the San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City along highways I-80, I-5 (Santa Ana), CA-99, I-10 and I-15. The City of Commerce LNG/LCNG station will serve as an important link in this growing corridor.
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About the City of Commerce
The City of Commerce is a unique blend of industrial, commercial and residential areas. Incorporated in 1960, the city is located six miles east of downtown Los Angeles and bordered by Bell, Bell Gardens, Downey, East Los Angeles, Montebello and Vernon. It is home to 3,377 families and 1,800 businesses. The city’s mix of residential areas, retail stores, business parks, manufacturing, and entertainment venues allows the city to provide high quality services for city residents while maintaining a pro-business climate.
