Executive Director Chosen to Lead Orangeline High Speed Rail Project

PARAMOUNT, Calif., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Orangeline Chairman Bruce Barrows is
please to announce the appointment of Michael Kodama as the new Executive
Director of the Orangeline Development Authority.

In his new role, Kodama, will spearhead the creation of the Orangeline High
Speed Rail system in Southern California. This forward thinking transit
corridor project is a joint initiative composed of leaders from the cities of
Artesia, Bell, Bellflower, Cerritos, Cudahy, Downey, Glendale, Huntington
Park, Maywood, Palmdale, Paramount, Santa Clarita, South Gate and Vernon. The
Orangeline High Speed Rail System is a high speed, environmentally friendly,
grade separated transit system designed to link cities, foster sustainable
land-use development, reduce traffic and alleviate air pollution.

Kodama's 20 years urban and transportation planning experience on local and
regional issues, gives him the ideal skill set to lead this multi-city
collaborative project. Kodama's extensive planning background includes
freeways, rail and bus transit projects, parking management and transportation
demand management. Mr. Kodama has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of California at Los Angeles in Sociology and Economics and a
Masters of Arts degree from the University of California at Los Angeles in
Urban Planning, with an emphasis in Social Policy Analysis and Transportation.
He currently is President of his own transportation planning firm and is a
professor teaching transportation planning at the University of Southern
California.

"With Michael's extensive knowledge of Los Angeles and Orange County
transportation issues, he is the perfect choice for this position. As many
people who have worked with Michael know, he will have the agency and the
public's best interest in mind when planning and executing a large scale
project such as the Orangeline High Speed Rail Project," noted Orangeline
Authority Chairman, Bruce Barrows, Mayor of Cerritos.

The proposed Orangeline High Speed Rail Project uses existing right-of-way and
extends from Orange County north to Santa Clarita and Palmdale. Vice Chair and
Santa Clarita Councilmember Marsha McLean states, "The Orangeline is a great
opportunity for us to develop a high speed, environmentally friendly rail
system that connects Los Angeles County from Palmdale and Santa Clarita to
Cerritos and Downey and beyond."

"For more information about the Orangeline High Speed please visit
www.olda.org"

SOURCE Orangeline

Denise Van Stratten, +1-626-926-5786, for Orangeline