Port of LA, Partners Team on Emission Reduction Projects

Port of LA, Partners Team on Emission Reduction Projects

The Port of Los Angeles is collaborating with ferry service Catalina Express and whale watching tour agency Harbor Breeze Cruises on a series of projects to test emission-reduction technology for specialized harbor craft. The project, made possible in part by a $31 million California Air Resources Board (CARB) grant, would demonstrate two harbor craft emission-reduction technologies and a comprehensive assessment of “next-generation, less-polluting harbor craft,” the port said Jan. 16. The Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) project calls for designing, building and launching a passenger ferry running on Tier 4 engines and “potentially a CARB-verified, U.S. Coast Guard-approved…
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Port of Coos Bay Wins Rail Upgrade Grant Funding

Port of Coos Bay Wins Rail Upgrade Grant Funding

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay has been awarded nearly $4 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funding for an overpass project and safety enhancements at a nearby rail crossing, the port announced Jan. 16. This funding, which comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation, is expected to pay for the design and engineering costs of a new overpass crossing along Oregon Highway 38, as well as rail crossing safety improvements in Reedsport, Ore., the port said. “This grant will give us the opportunity to further explore options for mitigating the potential effects of increased rail traffic…
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POLA Exec. Dir. Outlines Successes, Priorities at Annual ‘State of Port’ Event

POLA Exec. Dir. Outlines Successes, Priorities at Annual ‘State of Port’ Event

With a focus on “people, planet and performance,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka outlined the port’s agenda for the coming year at the POLA’s 10th annual State of the Port event on Jan. 23. Seroka, now in his 11th year as executive director, outlined the POLA’s strategic priorities for the year ahead in the aforementioned three key areas. People Emphasizing the need to prioritize people and workforce development, Seroka highlighted the port’s newly opened $16 million ILWU-PMA Maintenance and Repair Training Center on Terminal Island, and the ongoing development of a new Goods Movement Training Facility. Both…
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Washington State Ferries Ridership Rose in 2024

Washington State Ferries Ridership Rose in 2024

An estimated 19.1 million people rode Washington State Ferries in 2024, nearly a half-million more riders than in 2023, according to data released Jan. 13 by the state ferry system. The transit agency attributed the heightened attendance of 2.6% to a leap in walk-on riders and its fewest number of canceled sailings since 2020. Walk-on passengers accounted for the 5.7% increase (about 224,000 more riders) with tourism and more people returning to the workplace on the rise, according to WSF, which also saw a 1.1% uptick in passengers with vehicles with 102,000 people. The most notable year-to-year surge was experienced…
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Port of San Diego Begins Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp Repairs

Port of San Diego Begins Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp Repairs

Repairs to the Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp at the Port of San Diego began on Jan. 27, the port said in an announcement. The work, which is expected to be complete in April, involves adding about 200 cubic yards of sand beneath the damaged docks on the nearby upland beach along the boardwalk that’s eroding, taking down the damaged floating docks and putting in a new dock. Neoprene sleeves and stainless-steel wedge anchors also are expected to be installed along the seawall. Meanwhile, the public still has access to the eastside floating dock during repairs, which are scheduled for…
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New Navigation Aids Being Installed in BC’s Eastern Burrard Inlet

New Navigation Aids Being Installed in BC’s Eastern Burrard Inlet

New navigation aids are set to be installed in British Columbia’s eastern Burrard Inlet to help vessels move through the busy Second Narrows waterway at night, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority announced Jan. 8. The aids, which consist of installation of a pair of solar-powered range lights and a sector light off Berry Point, and lighting the Second Narrows Rail Bridge’s pillars, aims to improve visibility for the more than 500 cargo vessels that annually call to the seven marine terminals in the inlet. “The new navigation aids will enhance marine safety and offer ship operators moving through the Second…
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Rail Dwell Time Down at Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaports Amid Busy Season

Rail Dwell Time Down at Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaports Amid Busy Season

The length of time cargo sits at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports before departing by rail actually fell in December despite record volumes of containers moving through the ports, according to data released Jan. 15 by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. The nation’s two busiest seaports saw the average dwell time for rail-bound cargo in December drop from 7.67 days in November to 6.53 days in December. It’s a significant decrease from the 9.86 day-average dwell time in October, PMSA data show. Meanwhile, the average dwell time for truck-bound cargo held steady with an average of 3.11 days…
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Coast Guard Adds 1st Polar Icebreaker to Fleet in 25 Years

Coast Guard Adds 1st Polar Icebreaker to Fleet in 25 Years

The Coast Guard has officially welcomed its first polar icebreaker in more than 25 years – the recently acquired Aiviq, a commercial vessel that’s being renamed CGC Storis, the Guard said Dec. 23. Storis, which means “great ice” in Scandinavia, is a nod to the original CGC (Coast Guard Cutter) Storis, a legendary light icebreaker and medium endurance cutter commissioned in 1942 that patrolled for submarines and ran convoys during World War II and led the first American transit of the Northwest Passage. In 1948, the original Storis was moved to Alaska where she conducted law enforcement, search and rescue,…
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POLB CEO Marks 20 Years of Environmental Stewardship During Speech

POLB CEO Marks 20 Years of Environmental Stewardship During Speech

The Port of Long Beach is accomplishing its environmental, operational and commercial goals and is setting its sights on even greater achievements in the years ahead, POLB CEO Mario Cordero said during his annual State of the Port address on Jan. 16. Cordero recounted that it was in January 2005 that the Long Beach Harbor Commission adopted its Green Port Policy as a promise to reduce harmful impacts from port operations and safeguard the health of people living in Long Beach and surrounding communities, protect wildlife and the natural habitat, and engage the community to ensure that the Port lives…
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Prince Rupert Port Authority Adds Ex-CN Rail Chief to Board

Prince Rupert Port Authority Adds Ex-CN Rail Chief to Board

Retired CN Rail CEO Jean-Jacques “JJ” Ruest is the newest member of the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s seven-member Board of Directors, following his appointment by Canada’s Minister of Transport, Anita Anand, the Port Authority announced Jan. 8. Ruest, whose three-year term began Dec. 17, brings more than 40 years of transportation, logistics, international trade and chemical manufacturing industry experience. That includes his leadership at CN Rail, where he was CEO, president, and chief marketing officer. Ruest was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame In 2017, and in 2021 he received Progressive Railroading and RailTrends’ Railroad Innovator Award. He…
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