DC Velocity - December 2013

225 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor New York, NY 10003

T: 212 435 4218 F: 212 435 4201 rlarrabee@panynj.gov R. M. Larrabee Director, Port Commerce Department

Some blessings come in disguise. As most industry professionals are aware, our port experienced service failures and congestion this past summer. The situation highlighted a number of areas in which the port was vulnerable including the rolling out of a new terminal operating system, inadequate vacation coverage for labor, inadequate chassis availability, and differences in operating practices among a number of seemingly similar functions. In response, we have reached out to all of our port partners to initiate an evaluation of all port functions with the goal of optimizing the flow of cargo through the port in a manner consistent with the interests of all involved stakeholders.

No doubt, living through the difficulties of this past summer was a humbling experience, but also an exciting one. We learned that hiccups occur along any path to a better future — that is hardly a new discovery, but one worth reviewing from time to time, as our port continues its relentless course of adjusting to the ever-changing demands placed upon it. We learned that The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey can and should enlarge the role we play in creating port and supply chain productivity. For instance, it’s no longer good enough to build and maintain infrastructure. We must go the extra mile and help facilitate transparent communication among our various stakeholders. We can create an inclusive environment where previously disparate elements come together and work as a team.

This has already started to happen, and it couldn’t come at a better time. The Port Authority’s ambitious campaign of capital investments continues apace. The door to the future has now swung open, and anyone who looks past the threshold will see some very remarkable things. Like a brilliantly redesigned Bayonne Bridge that will offer unparalleled access to our marine terminal facilities. Like a nearly completed $1.6 billion project to deepen our harbor channels. Like an extensively renovated system of roads, thoroughfares, and traffic signals, that will speed the safe delivery of goods to and from our port. Like an expanded footprint and increased capacity for our ExpressRail system. Like our ongoing augmentation of the Greenville Yard Cross Harbor Freight facility. Like a completed flyover that alleviates truck and rail congestion at Port Newark Container Terminal. And countless other projects designed to keep the largest port on our nation’s East Coast working for you every day.

But you don’t have to look through the door to the future to see that great change has already begun. Our terminal operators have committed their own significant funding to state-of-the-art upgrades in technology and equipment. Our rail partners now reach farther and shuttle cargo faster than ever before. Post-Panamax ships have started to call on the Port of New York and New Jersey.

There is no doubt in my mind that, many years from now, those who care about commerce and the economic wellbeing of our country will look back on this time of great change and think that a new and important era began right here, and right now. And perhaps, like me, you will feel proud to have been a part of this moment, to have learned its lessons, weathered its challenges, and continued our journey, ever onward, toward an even better tomorrow.

For more information on our recent commitments to infrastructure and the various services offered at the Port of New York and New Jersey visit www.panynj.gov/port/customer-library.html. But don’t stop there. While you are at it, also be sure to visit www.portnynj.com. Bookmark this page in your web browser. Consider it your go-to portal for useful online searchable services like our Intermodal Rail and Ocean Shipping tools, our Port Directory, and more.