Transportation Improvements News

The Port of Los Angeles announced it has appointed Dina Aryan-Zahlan to Chief Harbor Engineer, lead of the Port’s Engineering Division. Aryan-Zahlan replaces David Walsh who retired in December 2021.Aryan-Zahlan most recently served as the Port’s Assistant Chief Harbor Engineer since 2015, where she oversaw the planning, development and design of infrastructure and facilities that support the diverse operations of the nation’s busiest seaport, including wharves, terminals, rail…

The Georgia Port Authority (GPA) has unveiled a $2.5 billion plan to expand the capacity at the Port of Savannah to 8 million TEUs by 2028.GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch at the Savannah State of the Port detailed GPA’s 10-year,  $2.5 billion plan to expand the capacity of the nation’s fastest growing and single largest container terminal from 5.5 million twenty-foot equivalent unit containers (TEUs) to 8 million, said a press release.“We’re preparing to redefine the Port of Savannah as not simply the load center for the Southeastern U.S., but as the port of choice for major inland markets east of the Mississippi River,” Lynch said.During his presentation to nearly 1,400 people, including Gov.

After evaluating 627 applications, 50 of which were from ports, for the FY 2015 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced 39 awards for $500 million in funding to be made in the seventh round of this multimodal, discretionary grant program. Of those, five awards totaling $44.3 million, or about 9 percent of total funding, are going to commercial seaports or to projects that directly aid the efficient movement of goods to and from America’s ports.

Passenger vessel safety isn’t just a third world problem. It’s a worthy challenge to take up in 2015 and at the same time, a completely sobering way to ring in the New Year. As the clock ticks down on yet another year, I couldn’t help but take note of the new cruise ship passenger drill requirements, effective from 1 January. These rules involve heightened requirements for mustering of newly embarked passengers prior to or immediately upon departure. Appropriately, the amended regulation in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was adopted in 2013 in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident. This is intended to ensure that passengers undergo safety drills, including mustering at the lifeboat stations, before the ship departs or immediately on departure.

It all adds up to the global effort to strengthen bottom lines, safety margins and the collective environmental footprint. The future for ferries seems to be on fire; both in good ways and bad. The good is always a good place to start. And, that’s because it is ferry fabrication time. The most notable ferry routes in America are jumping into the construction queue for new vessels and soon the next generation of ferry vessels will be hitting the piers (not literally of course).

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released its annual “Top 10 Most Wanted List” of Transportation Improvements for 2014. New this year was the issue of passenger vessel safety. Between 2000 and 2010, several accidents involving passenger vessels occurred. The domestic passenger vessel industry is highly regulated. Safety regulations for small passenger vessels took effect starting in 1996 for new construction, with phased implementation for existing vessels to be completed no later than March 2006.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a Notice stating that it is examining the feasibility of waterside, terminal, and transportation improvements at Berths 136-147 in the Port of Los Angeles. A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared and made available for public review at a later date. 68 Fed. Reg. 61191 Source: HK Law

Duramax Marine, a world leader in water-lubricated rubber bearings, recently broke ground on a new facility that will streamline the company's current manufacturing operations. The facility, with approximately 65,000 sq. ft. of factory and office space will consolidate production and administration into one centralized location in Troy Township, Ohio, approximately 40 miles south east of Cleveland. The expected grand opening will be the first quarter of 2001. Watson Coatings Inc. said that Gordon Watson, founder and CEO, retired on Nov. 2, 2000. Gordon founded Watson Coatings in 1987 with his wife Carol, and sons, Tom and Gary. Carol Watson will continue as Office Manager…

Responding to recent news coverage about major management challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the way the department has handled its Port Security Grants Program, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) President Kurt Nagle said the criticism "misses the mark," noting that the program's biggest problem is a serious lack of money to assist American seaports in paying for critical security measures. "Like airports, protecting our seaports against terrorism must be a top priority and a shared responsibility between the federal government, local public ports and private industry," said Nagle. Ports are already spending more than $3 billion annually on infrastructure improvements and operating expenses to keep pace with burgeoning world trade.

Responding to recent news coverage about major management challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the way the department has handled its Port Security Grants Program, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) President Kurt Nagle said the criticism "misses the mark," noting that the program's biggest problem is a serious lack of money to assist American seaports in paying for critical security measures. "Like airports, protecting our seaports against terrorism must be a top priority and a shared responsibility between the federal government, local public ports and private industry," said Nagle. Ports are already spending more than $3 billion annually on infrastructure improvements and operating expenses to keep pace with burgeoning world trade.