Alameda Corridor Extends Conservation Corps Program to Include 410 Young Adults

MAY 10, 2001

Launched in June 2000, the Alameda Corridor Conservation Corps has provided education and jobs to 225 local young men and woman (ages 18-23).  Crews have eradicated graffiti, cleaned vacant lots and removed thousands of tons of debris from communities up and down the route of the Alameda Corridor. 

The program – a joint effort involving the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA), the Conservation Corps of Long Beach and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps – was originally scheduled for one year ending on May 31, 2001.  But it has been so successful that the ACTA Governing Board extended the contract through May 30, 2002 and agreed to provide an additional $1.1 million in funding – enough to recruit and train an additional 185 young adults, for a total to 410. 

One of the projects will be to plant and maintain 2,500 trees along the Alameda Corridor. 

“The Alameda Corridor Conservation Corps is directly benefiting local communities not only by planting trees and removing debris but also by providing more than 400 young adults with good jobs and the chance to learn job skills that will last a lifetime,” said ACTA Governing Board Chair Rudy Svorinich, Jr., a member of the Los Angeles City Council. 

ACTA, a partnership between the cities and ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is building a 20-mile-long rail cargo expressway to speed the flow of cargo between the ports and the rail yards near downtown and reduce traffic congestion by eliminating conflicts at 200 street-level rail crossings.  The $2.4 billion project is on budget and on schedule to open in April 2002.

Alameda Corridor Conservations Corps recruits are paid minimum wage while working 32-36 hours per week on various beautification projects in Alameda Corridor Communities. For 6-10 hours per week, they also receive training and education – for example, credits toward a high school diploma. 

After three months, recruits have the option to join the Conservation Corps full-time, phase into a Long Beach or Los Angeles city college program, or enroll in a business, vocational or trade school or apprenticeship program. 

The Corps chapters administer the program with funding and oversight provided by ACTA.  The Conservation Corps is a private non-profit company that provides youth with training, education and work experience in a variety of areas, including recycling, landscaping, sidewalk replacement and conservation programs. 

Participants in the Alameda Corridor Conservation Corps program must be residents of a Corridor Community.  For more information, prospective applicants should call the Alameda Corridor Conservation Corps program at (562) 986-1249 or stop by the recruitment office at 3215 N. Alameda Street in Compton.

CONTACTS:
PHIL HAMPTON (562) 435-5551
MARIA MORENO (310) 233-7480

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