Port of San Diego, Partners Enter Agreement on Cargo Movement Projects

Port of San Diego, Partners Enter Agreement on Cargo Movement Projects

The Port of San Diego, Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation) and SANDAG (the San Diego Association of Governments) have entered into an agreement that would allow them to fund and advance two projects that seek to help improve cargo movement and public access. San Digo’s Port Commission announced Feb. 15 that it approved the collaborative agreement and about $2.2 million in funding for the Harbor Drive 2.0 and Vesta Bridge projects. The project is being funded by the port and Caltrans, which in June was awarded an $18.5 million grant from the California Transportation Commission through its Trade Corridor…
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Elliott Bay Design Group, Coastwise Corp. Form Partnership

Elliott Bay Design Group, Coastwise Corp. Form Partnership

Elliott Bay Design Group is expanding its reach in Alaska and beyond. The Seattle-based company announced Feb. 21 that it’s teaming up with Anchorage-based marine engineering and naval architect company Coastwise Corp. in a strategic partnership that combines EBDG’s designs with Coastwise’s portfolio. Under the agreement, Elliott Bay is acquiring Coastwise’s assets and would be rebranded as Coastwise Engineering, a new division of EBDG with 57 staff members that continues to offer “naval architecture services to both public and private clients, using existing Coastwise Corporation contact methods,” according to EBDG. “EBDG is excited to expand our presence in Alaska and…
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USCG Launching New Merchant Mariner Credential Format

USCG Launching New Merchant Mariner Credential Format

Starting March 1, the U.S. Coast Guard plans to issue merchant mariner credentials in a new format that replaces the red passport-style book with related endorsement labels, according to the National Maritime Center. “The complexity and degraded reliability of the custom printers used to print the (credential) books necessitated a change to the credential printing process,” according to USCG, adding that the new credentials are going to be “printed on readily available commercial desktop laser jet printers and will vastly improve print services and availability.” The new format is expected to be on 8.5-inch by 11-inch “waterproof and tear-resistant synthetic…
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USCG Sector Puget Sound Launches Effort to Curb Vessel Traffic’s Impact on Whales

USCG Sector Puget Sound Launches Effort to Curb Vessel Traffic’s Impact on Whales

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound is engaging in a four-year pilot program that is expected to help minimize the vessel traffic impact on endangered whales in the Salish Sea, the agency announced Feb. 21. Hosted in the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service (VTS), the program allows for the Coast Guard to get whale sighting reports from mariners and give close to real-time information on whale locations to mariners through a whale report alert system, according to the Guard. The Coast Guard said that it plans to work closely with international, federal, tribal and state entities as well as…
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Port of Portland Announces New Chief Development Services Officer

Port of Portland Announces New Chief Development Services Officer

The Port of Portland has chosen Kristina Kelchner as its new chief development services officer, a new role that oversees strategy of the port’s Development Services division, which encompasses engineering, environmental, planning and development and safety operations, according to the port. Kelchner, who began her new role Feb. 22, previously served as the port’s assistant general counsel since 2022, working on various matters such as leasing and development of the port’s upcoming Mass Timber and Housing Innovation Campus at Terminal 2 and strategies for environmental remediation and permitting, the port said. Before joining the port, she was assistant general manager…
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PMSA Report: Cargo Volumes Down at U.S. West Coast Ports in 2023

PMSA Report: Cargo Volumes Down at U.S. West Coast Ports in 2023

In 2023, U.S. West Coast ports saw their loaded imports and exports fall from the previous year and the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, according to the latest West Coast Trade Report published Feb. 21 by Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. The seven U.S. West Coast seaports tracked by PMSA processed more than 10.3 million inbound loads last year. That’s 12.2% down from the previous year and down 5.4% from the pre-pandemic level of 2019. Meanwhile, the seven ports monitored by PMSA -- Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, San Diego and Hueneme in California and the Northwest Seaport Alliance gateway of Seattle…
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January Cargo Volumes Up at LA, Long Beach Ports

January Cargo Volumes Up at LA, Long Beach Ports

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach started 2024 strong with year-over-year double-digit increases in January, mainly a result of shippers rushing to stock shelves before the start of the Lunar New Year, according to both ports. The Port of Los Angeles posted its second-busiest January last month, moving 855,652 TEUs. That’s an 18% jump from January 2023 and represents six straight months of year-over-year growth, according to data released Feb. 14. LA handled 441,763 TEUs in loaded imports, a 19% increase, and processed 126,554 TEUs in loaded exports, a 23% spike from the same time last year. Empties…
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NWSA’s Terminal 46 Welcomes First Automobile Vessel in 20+ Years

NWSA’s Terminal 46 Welcomes First Automobile Vessel in 20+ Years

For the first time in more than two decades, the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 46 welcomed the arrival of an automobile vessel, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance. On Feb. 2, the GLOVIS America logistics services vessel Silver Sky called at the terminal, carrying more than 2,500 automobiles bound for KIA and Hyundai dealerships in Canada. The new auto imports business builds upon the gateway’s automobile volumes, which saw a 96% year-over-year increase in December 2023, internal data show. “Terminal 46 is a key marine cargo property, and we are glad to work together with International Longshore and Warehouse Union…
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PMA Announces New President-CEO as McKenna Retires After 20 Years

PMA Announces New President-CEO as McKenna Retires After 20 Years

The Pacific Maritime Association, the organization representing West Coast ports’ shipping lines and terminal operators, has a new president and CEO. The PMA announced Feb. 13 that its longtime Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Stephen Hennessey has been chosen for the top job via a unanimous vote by PMA’s 11-member Board of Directors. Hennessey takes the reins from Jim McKenna, who is retiring after serving as president and CEO for 20 years. “PMA is in great hands with Steve Hennessey and the rest of our incredible leadership team and staff,” McKenna said. “I am proud to have led…
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Port of Olympia Selects New Executive Director

Port of Olympia Selects New Executive Director

Veteran leader Alexandra “Alex” Smith has been chosen as the Port of Olympia’s new executive director, the port announced Feb. 13. Smith, who beat out more than 30 candidates for the top job to lead the Washington seaport, previously served as the port’s environmental programs director before working for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, according to news reports. The port praised Smith’s “forward-thinking approach” and “her commitment to sustainability and fostering economic development.” “We are excited to welcome Alex Smith as the new executive director of the Port of Olympia,” port Commission Chair Bob Iyall said in a statement.…
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