Maritime Solutions for the Big Apple’s Growth
By Paul "Chip" Jaenichen
Wednesday, July 08, 2015, 3:50 PM
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation
Like most of our
Nation’s major urban areas, New York City is experiencing growing pains.
The Big Apple’s rising population means surging needs for freight and
services, which have made congestion a common reality for the city’s
more than 10 million daily commuters.
However, New York has long had a transportation ace in the hole –
its geography and access to water. New York City is positioned on a
series of islands right in the middle of New York Harbor, one of the
world’s largest natural harbors. We at the Maritime Administration
(MARAD) have always viewed the harbor as a common sense solution to the
city’s transportation challenges, whether it’s using ferries to
transport people or ships and barges to move freight, and that’s why
we've been making moves to help New York fully leverage this asset.
Floating containers on barges across the harbor has long been a
reliable way to move cargo between New York and New Jersey – without
adding to the dense traffic on the region's bridges. That’s why back in
April, with MARAD's support, Secretary Foxx formally designated a
cross-harbor barge service between Port Newark and Brooklyn as an
Official American Marine Highway Project.
The M-95 Cross Harbor Marine Highway Project will expand
present-day container-on-barge operations and augment this vital
waterborne supply chain for the city. Working with the Trans-Hudson
Freight Connector Project, which moves freight rail cars between New
Jersey and Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island, the M-95 will be a
well-needed addition to New York’s distribution and logistics network.
That’s why MARAD is so glad that New York’s leaders are making the right moves to ensure the M-95’s success.
Last Monday, the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, announced
that the city is investing more than $115 million dollars in the
development of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and taking out a
39-year-lease on the port. I had the privilege of joining the mayor,
City Council Members, and members of the New York Congressional
Delegation at his announcement, and I was incredibly pleased to have the
opportunity to highlight a number of the benefits that the development
will produce for the New York region.
The development of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the
ongoing expansion of the Red Hook Container Terminal – the end points of
the M-95 Cross Harbor Service – will revive a working waterfront and
provide new supply chain options for shippers and customers. Through
these investments and the designation of the M-95, the city is
increasing its capacity for freight and building a more efficient
transportation system for the region, all while avoiding the gridlock
and emissions that would accompany a capacity increase for landside
corridors.
This project is a perfect example of what can be accomplished with
creative large-scale infrastructure investments. And, it’s just a sample
of what our Nation could gain from the GROW AMERICA Act, a six-year
bill that would increase our national investment in surface
transportation by 45 percent.
While we wait for Congress to see that we need stable long-term
funding for transportation – as provided in GROW AMERICA – MARAD will
continue its work to spread the network of America’s Marine Highways and
spur the creative investments that can help our Nation realize the
benefits of marine transportation.
About the author
Paul "Chip" Jaenichen is Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration
[Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Fast Lane Blog]
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Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation
