U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited with local harbor and civic leaders at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex on Tuesday to see goods movement at the country’s two busiest seaports up close.
The visit, which included a boat tour and a press conference at the Port of Long Beach’s Joint Command and Control Center, follows the recent announcement of a grant from the U.S. Maritime Administration for Long Beach’s Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, which would allow the port to send more cargo by rail and curb air emissions from moving goods by trucks.
“Thanks to the heroic efforts of supply chain workers and the creativity coming out of our partnerships, we’re making good progress, as shown by the numbers on cargo movement, goods on shelves, and deliveries on time,” Buttigieg said. “Still, there is more to do, and we’re proud to award the Port of Long Beach a $52 million grant for the Pier B On-Dock Rail Facility, so this port can move more goods, more quickly.”
Port Executive Director Mario Cordero mentioned that Long Beach is investing in a 24/7 framework to further throughput and efficiencies at the port so it can serve the nation’s needs for the next 100 years.
“President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg are fully engaged in our efforts to create a new normal of 24-hour operations to ensure we can clear the supply chain backlog and handle the flow of cargo into the future,” Cordero said.
