National Transportation System News

Rear Admiral Mark Buzby is the Maritime Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration.Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby was appointed by President Donald Trump and sworn in as Maritime Administrator on August 8, 2017. Prior to his appointment, Buzby served as president of the National Defense Transportation Association, a position he has held since retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2013 with over 34 years of service. A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Buzby earned his Bachelor of Science in Nautical Science and U.S. Coast Guard Third Mate License. He was commissioned in the US Navy in June 1979, is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College and holds master’s degrees from the U.S.

We are in the midst of a revolution over port infrastructure. This revolution is not about the role of ports as silent engines for our economy and the need for better intermodal infrastructure. Rather, it is about why governments – local, state and federal – believe ports exist, and whether or not public and private entities, other than those directly responsible for ports, should help build or improve port infrastructure and their intermodal connectors. Ports are rightfully linked to a maritime industry that is steeped in tradition.

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans awarded a $13.3 million construction contract to Metairie, La.-based Hard Rock Construction LLC today for the Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal improvement project at its monthly meeting. Hard Rock Construction was the lowest of eight bidders. The 12-acre project will result in a modern and efficient intermodal container transfer terminal to facilitate the movement of marine and rail cargo, while enhancing safety and reducing the carbon footprint of the regional and national transportation system.

On the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the binational waterway we operate in partnership with Canada, the end of the calendar year also means the end of the navigation season. And 2013 was another busy year on the Seaway. In fact, activity at our Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation in Massena, NY, never slows down, even after the locks are closed. Because when the navigation season ends, the repair, maintenance, and upgrade work begins. And 2013 was no different as we continued our Asset Renewal Program.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today released a study on shipping patterns and industry costs that will help the United States prepare for the anticipated impact on its ports, waterways and intermodal freight systems from the Panama Canal expansion. The expansion of the Panama Canal, scheduled for completion in 2015, will give much larger vessels, called “Post Panamax” vessels, greater access to the U.S. ports on the East and Gulf coasts. “America’s ports keep our economy moving,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today administered the oath of office to former U.S. Congresswoman Betty Sutton who becomes the tenth Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC). “We are pleased to welcome Betty Sutton to the Department as the new Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation,” said SLSDC Deputy Administrator Craig H. Middlebrook. “She brings a wealth of experience from her years of service at the city, county, state and federal levels of government.

The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association representing the country's tugboat, towboat and barge operators, announced its strong support for the Reinvesting in Vital Economic Rivers and Waterways (RIVER) Act of 2013, introduced by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). The bill seeks to modernize America's vital water transportation network and ensure the viability of the infrastructure needed to carry the cargo on which the nation depends. "It is no secret that…

MARAD Hosts Public Outreach Meetings for the Panama Canal Expansion Study and America’s Marine Highway Program. Maritime industry stakeholders are invited to participate in a series of day-long outreach sessions sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). The morning sessions will focus on the potential impacts of the Panama Canal Expansion on U.S. ports and infrastructure, while the afternoon sessions will explore opportunities to incorporate America’s Marine Highways into the National Transportation System.

While maritime activity showing renewed signs of life along the entire Pacific Coast, from Prince Rupert to San Diego, shipbuilding is becoming ever-more dependant on the US Navy and Jones Act ships, while ship-repair yards are focused on a broad spectrum of boats and ships. In California, some of that work has focused on re-powering harbor craft to meet the state’s stringent environmental regulations. Along the Columbia River, shipyards remain centered on meeting the on-going demand for ocean-going barges…

Fifty years after the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Canadian and U.S. Seaway corporations remain resolute in their commitment to the sustainability of this bi-national transportation system. A recent U.S. and Canadian Government study concluded that the use of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) saves consumers $3.6 billion per year in shipping costs. In addition, over 150,000 jobs on both sides of the border are dependent on GLSLS shipping.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on approaches to mitigate freight congestion.  It states, among other things, that increasing congestion on the national transportation system poses a threat to the efficient flow of goods and has strained the system in some locations.  Recent growth in international trade has placed even greater pressure on ports and distribution hubs.  GAO-09-163R (11/20/08). (Source: Holland & Knight)

In 1933, the U.S. Congress decreed May 22nd as National Maritime Day. Each year since then, May 22nd has become the day the United States observes its proud maritime heritage, honors the men and women who serve or have served as merchant mariners, and recognizes the many benefits that today’s maritime industry provides. This year, National Maritime Day comes on the heels of National Transportation Week, which, according to U.S. The United States maritime industry is a critical part of the transportation network that moves goods worldwide from where they are grown, mined or manufactured to where they are ultimately consumed. It also provides for passenger transportation, both for business and pleasure.

The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Lawrence Cannon, will be on hand to welcome participants and give the opening address on April 19, 2006. Minister Cannon will also meet with United States and Mexican officials and key marine stakeholders on a variety of transportation related issues. “This conference is an excellent opportunity to promote shortsea shipping as a means to improve the performance of the national transportation system and to contribute to environmental sustainability,” said Minister Cannon. Approximately 250 participants from Canada, the United States, and Mexico are expected to attend. Transport Canada is hosting this conference in collaboration with the U.S.

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has retained Jay Grant & Associates (JG&A), a government affairs lobbying and public affairs firm with offices in Seattle, WA. and Washington, D.C. to represent the interests of AAPA members before Congress and the Administration’ s Department of Homeland Security regarding port security. AAPA is the primary association representing American seaports. It represents over 150 ports in the United States, Canada and South America. AAPA’s President Kurt Nagle said that the decision to retain JG&A “has already benefited our membership. It is clear that JG&A’s expertise and relationships played…