The Alameda Corridor originated as an attempt to combine four different freight rail lines that were operated through the city of Los Angeles from the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles. This is illustrated below, with the existing freight lines shown in relation to the Alameda Corridor (highlighed in pink). In 1994, the Alameda Corridor was purchased by the two ports from Southern Pacific for $235 million US.

Today, a large portion of the containers shipped to and from the ports now utilize this corridor. At the time of the study, the corridor carries the equivalent of 10,000 of trucks worth of containers through the city every day. This reduction in truck utilization reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 61%, eased congestion on local highways, and is saving $42,781 dollars worth of diesel fuel annually. This reduction in diesel fuel usage represents a 317 ton CO2 emission reduction in 2004, with additional reductions expected as more freight utilizes the Alameda corridor line in the future