In an effort to ease its infamous reputation for commuter gridlock and freight congestion, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been given the go-ahead to spend $9 billion on its top 10 “Traffic Buster” initiatives.

Those “Traffic Busters” include: expanding light rail lines, adding more carpool lanes, improving streets and highways; and most importantly to freight haulers, improving key corridors to ease the movement of goods.

“These Top 10 Traffic Busters represent what it will take to just keep up with anticipated growth and traffic,” said Metro CEO Roger Snoble. “We need to continue to build a more efficient and comprehensive transportation network, and these ten initiatives will help keep us moving in that direction.”

A main focus will be the movement of goods from the region’s ports, and the resulting truck traffic and rail congestion.

“This is a critical issue in terms of our economy,” said L.A. Chamber of Commerce Chairman George Kieffer. “We need to be able to move goods through our ports more efficiently, and we have to find better solutions to the growing truck congestion on our transportation corridors. Mobility is not simply a transportation issue, but is vital to the growth and vibrancy of our local, and in many cases, national economy.”