Critics blast Port Authority for changing position on how toll hike money will be spent | NJ.com

Critics blast Port Authority for changing position on how toll hike money will be spent | NJ.com: "In press releases and public comments leading up to the toll hike approval in August, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the money was needed to pay for a list of projects that included redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. The cost was of all the projects was eventually pegged at $25.1 billion."

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Coast Guard seeks comments for bridge modification | Coast Guard News

Coast Guard seeks comments for bridge modification | Coast Guard News: "Members of the Coast Guard’s bridges office in New York are reviewing the project to increase the navigational clearance beneath the bridge."

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Lawsuit against Port Authority fare hike to see court hearing December 1 | NJ.com

Lawsuit against Port Authority fare hike to see court hearing December 1 | NJ.com: "A lawsuit filed against the Port Authority over recent fare hikes will be presented in U.S. District Court in New York on December 1 to see if the case will reach a full trial."

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Bayonne Bridge's Birthday Passes Largely Unnoticed - NY1.com

Bayonne Bridge's Birthday Passes Largely Unnoticed - NY1.com: "The Bayonne Bridge turned 80 years old this month, but that milestone came and went without much fanfare. That's in contrast to the celebration that marked the 80th anniversary of the George Washington Bridge just three weeks earlier, when one of the largest flags in the world was displayed and the towers were illuminated at night."

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The Real Capital of NJ?

Bayonne Bridge project prompts U.S. Coast Guard to seek public comment on plan to raise bridge's roadbed | NJ.com

Bayonne Bridge project prompts U.S. Coast Guard to seek public comment on plan to raise bridge's roadbed | NJ.com: "The U.S. Coast Guard is asking the public to weigh in on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s plans to raise the roadbed of the Bayonne Bridge."

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How Many People Will Travel Across the George Washington Bridge Today? - NYTimes.com

How Many People Will Travel Across the George Washington Bridge Today? - NYTimes.com: "“Last year on the day before Thanksgiving, there were approximately 156,800 eastbound vehicles."

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Coast Guard seeks public opinion of Bayonne Bridge | NJ.com

Coast Guard seeks public opinion of Bayonne Bridge | NJ.com: "The Coast Guard wants to know what the public thinks about plans to raise the Bayonne Bridge."

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Burr on Staten Island | David O. Stewart

Burr on Staten Island | David O. Stewart: "Aaron Burr died in September 1836 in a hotel in Port Richmond, on the island’s north shore."

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Sen. Charles Schumer goes to bat in Staten Island's fight for lower tolls at Port Authority bridges | SILive.com

Sen. Charles Schumer goes to bat in Staten Island's fight for lower tolls at Port Authority bridges | SILive.com: "The push for a toll break for Staten Island businesses and residents gained some muscle with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer making the appeal directly to the head of the Port Authority. "

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Golf Course & Bridge

Shooter’s Island: Then and Now « tugster: a waterblog

Shooter’s Island: Then and Now « tugster: a waterblog: "Maersk Kentucky turns at least 90 degrees to starboard after passing under the Bayonne Bridge. Beyond Shooters Island lies the city of Elizabeth, NJ. More close-ups of Maersk Kentucky–eleven years running and a fifth of a mile long– tomorrow, but for now, she draws more than 30 feet max . . . and notice the mud trail she stirs up."

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All About Shipping » Blog Archive » Port Authority celebrates 80th birthday of the Bayonne Bridge

All About Shipping » Blog Archive » Port Authority celebrates 80th birthday of the Bayonne Bridge: "Crossing is the Gateway to Region’s Port Facilities, the Largest on the East Coast, and Generator of Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs and Billions in Economic Activity"

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Sunset under the Bayonne Bridge

http://www.flickr.com/photos/07181953/6365716365/

Random Pix

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnoram/6364669259/

 All rights reserved by John Oram

Staten Island Business Owners, Residents Protest Port Authority Toll Fees « CBS New York

Staten Island Business Owners, Residents Protest Port Authority Toll Fees « CBS New York: "Elected officials joined residents and business owners near the base of the Bayonne Bridge Saturday morning to protest what they call the sky-high and ever increasing toll fees."

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Staten Islanders Rally Against Steep Tolls, Call For Fixed Rate - NY1.com

Staten Islanders Rally Against Steep Tolls, Call For Fixed Rate - NY1.com: "Staten Islanders rallied in Port Richmond this morning against what they call unfair tolls."

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Random Pics

Random Pics from http://tugster.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/random-tugs-82/

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who’s looking for fotos of Eldia, as she was towed from Cape Cod into the Kills and ultimately Witte’s yard in the mid-1980s.  Eldiablew ashore at Orleans in a spring storm 1984 (Click here to see how photogenic she was thought to be on the beach.) and ultimately was towed toRossville.   Someone out there MUST have fotos of her as “dead ship” coming into sixth boro waters.

Kimberly Turecamo 1980  (ex-Rebecca P.) and Serifos 1995   named for anAegean Sea island.

Whatzit 12 « tugster: a waterblog

Whatzit 12 « tugster: a waterblog: "It’s Shooter’s Island as I could never have imagined it!!"

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Building Bridges |

Building Bridges |:

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Staten Island's James Molinaro calls out Gov. Christie on lack of toll relief | State | NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- Your State. Your News.

Staten Island's James Molinaro calls out Gov. Christie on lack of toll relief | State | NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- Your State. Your News.: "According to SILive.com, James Molinaro, the borough president, told the Staten Island Advance on Nov. 15 that the Garden State and its governor are the reasons that Molinaro’s constituents haven’t received a special deal on Port Authority bridge tolls. Staten Island is connected to New Jersey by the Goethals and Bayonne bridges and the Outerbridge Crossing."

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In the shadow of Bayonne Bridge, a rally against tolls | SILive.com

In the shadow of Bayonne Bridge, a rally against tolls | SILive.com: "The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce is mounting a rally tomorrow, 9 a.m., at Margarella Industrial, 2351 Richmond Terr. "

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bayonne bridge Antonyms

bayonne bridge Antonyms: "1. (noun) Bayonne Bridge
a steel arch bridge connecting New Jersey and Staten Island at Bayonne, New Jersey"

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Bayonne Bridge, linking Bayonne and Staten Island, celebrated 80th anniversary of opening; raising the span's roadbed will keep it useful | NJ.com

Bayonne Bridge, linking Bayonne and Staten Island, celebrated 80th anniversary of opening; raising the span's roadbed will keep it useful | NJ.com: "The bridge officially opened to traffic on Nov. 15, 1931 and former Bayonne Mayor Lucius Donohoe, driving a Rolls Royce, was first to cross over."

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Port Authority Submits Preliminary Bridge Modification Application to US Coast Guard

A preliminary application has been received by the Commander, First Coast Guard District from
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) for a U. S. Coast Guard Bridge
Permit for modification to the Bayonne Bridge across Kill Van Kull between Staten Island, NY
and Bayonne, NJ. PANYNJ proposes to increase the navigational clearance beneath the bridge
by raising the vehicular roadway within the existing tied arch truss structure.

War veterans will be preferred hires for 1,000 jobs in the Port of New York and New Jersey | NJ.com

War veterans will be preferred hires for 1,000 jobs in the Port of New York and New Jersey | NJ.com:

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Happy Birthday, Bayonne Bridge! | Pop Up New York

Happy Birthday, Bayonne Bridge! | Pop Up New York:

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The Beautiful Bayonne Bridge |

The Beautiful Bayonne Bridge |: "Bill will present another view of the Bayonne Bridge when we reopen our Lifespan: The Bayonne Bridge in Transition show right after this Saturday’s auction."

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New Port Authority executive director calls for agency to boldly address sagging economy | NJ.com

New Port Authority executive director calls for agency to boldly address sagging economy | NJ.com: "The agency also maintains Newark Liberty International Airport, the Holland Tunnel, PATH trains, the World Trade Center and the Bayonne and Goethals bridges."

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Bayonne Bridge, linking Bayonne and Staten Island, celebrated 80th anniversary of opening; raising the span's roadbed will keep it useful | NJ.com

Bayonne Bridge, linking Bayonne and Staten Island, celebrated 80th anniversary of opening; raising the span's roadbed will keep it useful | NJ.com: "“This bridge is an iconic landmark and a key link in our region’s transportation system and port competitiveness,” Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye said."

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Bayonne Bridge Turns 80 - NY1.com

Bayonne Bridge Turns 80 - NY1.com: "NY1 VIDEO: The Bayonne Bridge is reaching a milestone today, as the Port Authority is celebrating the span’s 80th birthday." 'via Blog this'

Staten Island rally against Port Authority tolls re-scheduled for Saturday | SILive.com

Staten Island rally against Port Authority tolls re-scheduled for Saturday | SILive.com: "The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce has changed the date of its rally against toll hikes to Saturday at 9 a.m. It was originally scheduled for Wednesday."

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Port Authority celebrates 80th birthday of the Bayonne Bridge

New York State News on the Net!: " Arching gracefully over the industrial Kill Van Kull waterway, the steel triangular-truss Bayonne Bridge celebrates its 80th birthday today, an important milestone for the crossing that serves as the global shipping gateway for the region’s port facilities, which generate more than 270,000 jobs and billions in wages and economic activity."

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November 15th In NYC History - NY1.com

November 15th In NYC History - NY1.com: "In 1931...The Bayonne Bridge opens, linking Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey."

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Bayonne Bridge - United States | Travel Posters

Bayonne Bridge - United States | Travel Posters: "Bayonne Bridge is available from AllPosters.com"

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Toll of just two bucks and change urged for Staten Island's Port Authority spans | SILive.com

Toll of just two bucks and change urged for Staten Island's Port Authority spans | SILive.com: "That's right: Just $2.27 to cross the Outerbridge Crossing and the Goethals and Bayonne Bridges instead of the new $12 fee. Tolls would also come down for truckers, who now pay $78 per trip to cross."

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Bayonne Bridge 80th « tugster: a waterblog

Bayonne Bridge 80th « tugster: a waterblog:

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Car careens into the Kill Van Kull in Bayonne; Deli employee working across the street rushes to victim's aid | NJ.com

Car careens into the Kill Van Kull in Bayonne; Deli employee working across the street rushes to victim's aid | NJ.com: "After witnessing a silver Nissan Altima careen into the Kill Van Kull Thursday afternoon, one Bayonne clerk said he rushed across the street to assist the driver whose car had broken through the fence and landed on the shoreline near the Bayonne Bridge."

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10 best bridge walks around the world | Gadling.com

10 best bridge walks around the world | Gadling.com: "Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia: When it comes to the Sydney Harbour Bridge you have a few options. You can either walk across the arch-shaped structure from one end to the other, taking in views of Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House, or you can climb to the top. In 2010, climbing the bridge was actually rated one of the World's Top Ten Experiences by Lonely Planet. During the climb, which takes you up more than 300 feet, you will be given protective clothing to aid against the weather and will be secured by a wire lifeline. Beginning at the eastern side of the bridge, climbers will ascend to the summit and go down on the western end."

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300 Guests Attend PlanSmart NJ’s 43rd Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony | njtoday.net – Everything New Jersey

300 Guests Attend PlanSmart NJ’s 43rd Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony | njtoday.net – Everything New Jersey: "Economic Development Achievement Award: David Samson, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)for the decision to raise the Bayonne Bridge. "

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Economic Development Achievement Award: « PlanSmart NJ

Economic Development Achievement Award: « PlanSmart NJ: "David Samson,Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for the decision to raise the Bayonne Bridge"

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Elizabeth trail will connect Bridge Street, Arthur Kill Watershed | NJ.com

Elizabeth trail will connect Bridge Street, Arthur Kill Watershed | NJ.com: "With the background of Bayonne Bridge, bike marshals pre-ride along the promenade of Arthur Kill in preparation for the 15-mile 7th Annual Tour de Elizabeth in 2010."

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Photos & Pictures | Photos from the Staten Island Advance - SILive.com

Photos & Pictures | Photos from the Staten Island Advance - SILive.com: "Photos from the Staten Island Advance"

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Noble auction to be held Nov. 19 | SILive.com

Noble auction to be held Nov. 19 | SILive.com: "New to the auction this year: Bascove, a writer and well-established painter who has donated a giclee print ( “Bayonne Bridge II” and a copy of her book “Bridges”; June Julian, “Storm Surge,” a hand-colored lithograph; William Kushmick, “Field with Chapel and Music Hall in the Distance, 1979,” and “Road: Leading to the Graveyard,” a silver gelatin print; and John Taylor Arms’ (1887-1953) “Wilby Church, Northamptonshire,” an etching. "

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2011 November « tugster: a waterblog

2011 November « tugster: a waterblog: "So concludes this series . . . with total time elapsed from Qatar nosing around Bergen Point until Suez Canal Bridge‘s stern clearing the west side of the Bayonne Bridge"

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Bayonne Bridge | SILive.com

Bayonne Bridge | SILive.com: "An inbound container ship passes under the Port Authority-owned Bayonne Bridge as it transits the Kill van Kull. The waterway, which carries more tonnage than the Panama Canal, is literally a river of commerce for the greater New York City area. The bridge may need to be replaced or modified to allow passage by the ever-larger ships that visit the ports west of the span.(Staten Island Advance)"

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The Lure of the Tug - WSJ.com

The Lure of the Tug - WSJ.com: ""We're going to have to help her around the turn," Captain O'Toole explained, referring to the point of land that led under the Bayonne Bridge. "We'll push the stern around. Most ships won't make it on their own. It's greater than a 90-degree turn.""

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Streetsblog New York City » New York Can’t Afford to Build a Tappan Zee Bridge With No Transit

Streetsblog New York City » New York Can’t Afford to Build a Tappan Zee Bridge With No Transit: "According to the State of New York, spending $5.2 billion on a new Tappan Zee Bridge is affordable, but spending another $1 billion for a 30-mile bus rapid transit corridor is a bridge too far."

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A few more nice pics....

Turning 80b « tugster: a waterblog:

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Several Nice Pics of The Bridge

Turning 80a « tugster: a waterblog:

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Statement of Christopher Koch President and CEO World Shipping Council

Statement of Christopher Koch President and CEO World Shipping Council

Committee on House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

October 26, 2011

Mr. Chairman, the World Shipping Council1 appreciates the Subcommittee's examination of whether the nation's maritime transportation infrastructure is adequate to meet the future needs of the nation's commerce. It is a multi-faceted issue due to the fact that the ownership, the financing, and the investment needs of the various pieces of this critical network will vary according to what part of the network one is examining.

First, each sector of the transportation infrastructure and its related industries has different needs and characteristics, affecting how improvement strategies are developed and implemented. Second, within these sectors, the various market participants may not act in the same way. For example, some ocean carriers may be more committed to large vessels than others; some ports may have more competitive geographic locations or harbor depths or intermodal rail connections than others. Third, some transportation infrastructure is public and requires public solutions, but some is privately owned and operated. Fourth, state and local governments are key decision-makers, especially for much of the needed land-side infrastructure improvements and for the permission to improve the transportation infrastructure. Finding adequate capital to build or improve transportation infrastructure is increasingly only part of the issue. Getting permission from the appropriate authorities to build the improvements is just as much a part of our challenge, and in some cases, the greater part.

There is neither a single issue nor solution to how to prepare for future maritime transportation infrastructure needs. There will be many issues and many solutions to the topics likely to be touched on at this hearing. That may not be tidy, but it is reality. Understanding who is responsible for what improvements is a necessary foundation.

II. The Maritime Transportation System's Infrastructure Components

The following chart provides an overview of different sectors of the nation's maritime transportation system, their ownership, their capacity to handle growth, and their need for additional government assistance:

This chart illustrates that where the private sector owns the nation's critical transportation infrastructure, there generally is not an existing capacity problem or a shortage of necessary investment capita!, despite the enormous capital requirements. The capacity problems tend to arise more often with those portions of the critical infrastructure that are owned by the government, such as locks and dams, harbor channels, and efficient connections for freight to the national highway system.

111. Maritime Infrastructure Planning for the Future A. Overview Forecasting Trade Growth and Demand for Infrastructure Expansion

Five years ago, it was common to see trade projections assuming containerized trade growth in the U.S. of 8-12% per year for 20 consecutive years, with conclusions that we could be "maxing out" our port capacity by about now. Such projections did not forecast the 2008/2009 recession, the questions today about the Euro and European sovereign debt, and other relevant events. Such projections cannot accurately predict future important questions either, such as real estate bubbles in China, or what kind of protectionist policies might be implemented and what kind of damage to trade they would cause.

Both the maritime industry and policy makers must struggle with such uncertainties as they decide how much capital to invest in what kind of assets at what time. The current sluggish economy is certainly taking a financial toll on the liner shipping industry as capacity exceeds market demand, and ocean carriers' financial losses this year are forecast to be at least in the hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more.

This kind of variability makes it difficult for one to predict to this Subcommittee exactly what kind of ships will be calling with what volume levels at what ports at any particular time in the future. But, what we can consider from a macro planning perspective is that over the longer term, as economic growth occurs, so will the need for expanded maritime infrastructure capacity to handle that growth efficiently. In that regard, no one wants to see the nation's critical maritime infrastructure be at a level that is insufficient to efficiently handle trade volumes or to keep American businesses as competitive as possible in world markets. We must also be prepared for the possible effects of the Panama Canal Authority's expanded capacity when the new locks open in 2014.2

Handling Future Trade Volumes and Forecasting Ship Size

An initial observation is that there is more to planning future seaport infrastructure and capacity than just channel depth. U.S. ports will need to handle the growth of cargo volumes, whether they arrive on 4,000 TEU ships or 10,000 TEU ships. Whether 20,000 containers arrive on two ships or five ships, the port still needs to handle 20,000 containers, as do the rail and highway connections to the port.

This Committee has been working for quite awhile on legislation to reauthorize a long-term surface transportation bill. As noted in the chart above, Congress and the business community have recognized that the national highway system needs to include efficient links to intermodal freight facilities, whether they are in Chicago, the Ohio Valley, or Los Angeles. The nation's economic health and competitiveness depend upon it We hope that this point will be addressed in the Committee's continued efforts on this legislation, and that any future surface transportation funding program will address the importance of connecting the nation's highway system efficiently with intermodal freight facilities, including seaports.

U.S. ports today vary in their capacity and in their depth. The West Coast ports tend to be deeper draft harbors, and tend to need less maintenance dredging. The principal U.S. West Coast (USWC) container ports (LA/Long Beach/Oakland/Tacoma/Seattle) can all handle vessels with 50 foot draft; however, depth is not the only factor that limits the number and type of vessel calls.

Puget Sound ports have naturally deep harbors and good intermodal connections, but far less population and cargo demand than Southern California; thus, fewer services call in the Pacific Northwest than in Southern California.

Bigger containerships require container cranes with wider reach. The new locks in the Canal will be able to handle ships with a width of 19 rows of containers. The biggest container ships in the world are now 22 container rows wide, with larger vessels on order at 23 rows wide. Accordingly, marine terminal operators have been installing larger cranes as they determine whether larger ships will be calling at their facilities.

Port productivity is also very relevant to ship deployment decisions. U.S. port facility productivity is much less than the productivity at major ports in other parts of the world. Today, a 10,000 TEU ship takes four days to unload at one port on the West Coast. An 18,000 TEU ship would take up to a week, thus limiting an operator's interest in deploying such vessels in the U.S. even if it had vessels of this size.3

Harbor channel depth is obviously an important factor in assessing the issue of the seaport's capacity to handle future cargo growth. All the major USWC container ports (LA, Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle) currently have 50 foot depth. At the largest U.S. Gulf of Mexico and East Coast (USEC) ports, The Port of New York/New Jersey is dredged to 50 feet, but its container terminals on Newark Bay have bridge clearance limitations for ships passing under the Bayonne Bridge. The Global Terminal on the Hudson River can currently accommodate post-Panamax ships and is not affected by the bridge clearance limitation.

The Port of Baltimore is expected to complete its current efforts to have a depth of 50 feet in 2012, and the National Gateway rail project, planned for completion in 2015, will provide improved rail connections and clearances from the port to mid-western markets. Norfolk has a depth of 50 feet, and the completed Heartland Corridor rail project is providing much improved, connecting rail service into mid-western markets.

Charleston has a depth of 45 feet and is planning to deepen further. Savannah has a depth of 42 feet and seeking funding to get to 48 feet. Jacksonville has a depth of 38-40 feet with unfunded plans to dredge to 50 feet. Miami is in the process of dredging to get to 50 feet. Mobile has a depth of 40-45 feet. The Houston Ship Channel is currently being deepened to 45 feet from 40 feet.

The Panama Canal's New Locks

As noted earlier, the current size of the Panama Canal has constrained the maximum size of ships that can transit, with the maximum draft being 39.5 feet and the maximum size container ships being roughly 4,500 TEU. The new Canal locks, scheduled to begin operation in 2014, will increase the maximum container ship size that can transit to roughly 12,000 TEU and a 50 foot draft. There is a plethora of studies, opinions and prognostications about what the effects of the new locks will be on trade flows, ship sizes, volumes, transshipment port development, and which U.S. ports will benefit by the new locks. The Panama Canal Authority has entered into cooperative agreements with virtually every major U.S. port to discuss and consider these matters. My testimony today will not attempt to provide any definitive predictions to these questions, but the following comments may be useful to the Subcommittee as it examines this subject.

First, in recent years, the Canal has frequently operated at or close to maximum capacity in terms of the number of ships that can be safely scheduled for transit. By undertaking the current Canal improvement projects, the Canal will be able to handle significantly more cargo because the ships can be larger, because operations will be more efficient, and because of the addition of a third set of locks. The Canal Authority estimates that its current expansion projects will double the Canal's capacity.

Second, since 2001, there has been a moderate one percent shift of all international container cargo from the USWC to the USEC, with much of that adjustment taking place in 2003 to 2004 in reaction to labor disputes that led to the closure of West Coast ports in 2002. It is possible that more of a shift might have occurred as volume continued to grow until it peaked in 2007; however, the current Panama Canal is limited in the number of ships it can accommodate. As trade grows, USWC, USEC and Gulf ports all expect volumes to increase. It is not clear, however, the extent to which the new Canal locks will cause the Gulf and USEC ports to receive a substantially greater share of traffic between the U.S. and Asia, which is the dominant trade route by far that will be affected by the Canal expansion, in comparison to USWC ports. Many market factors can influence this, from port productivity, to labor conditions, to the relative attractiveness of the business climate in California versus the Gulf and Southeast. Intermodal services that utilize USWC ports for cargo going to or leaving from many Midwest or eastern destinations generally can provide faster service, using rail connections, than all water service between Asia and the USEC. Thus, if "time to market" is a shipper's predominant concern, the West Coast ports are likely to continue to have a competitive advantage for many interior U.S. destinations. On the other hand, if cost is a shipper's predominant concern, and their facilities are located east of the Rockies, the Gulf and East Coast gateways may receive a boost from the shipper's lower inland cost that results from shorter distance from the port to the shipper's facility or benefit from the new major rail gateways developing from East Coast ports. All of these comparisons and choices will be very case and cost specific.

Third, future toll increases by the Panama Canal Authority are uncertain, and thus their effect on cargo volumes using all water service via the Panama Canal is uncertain. One would expect that the Panama Canal would not raise tolls so much as to discourage use of the Canal, but that remains to be seen.

Fourth, the Suez Canal is able to accommodate all container ship sizes, including the most recently ordered 18,000 TEU ships. There are currently vessel services between Asia and the USEC via the Suez Canal, and these services, notwithstanding their longer sailing time, can be competitive, depending on the geographic origin of the goods, the level of Suez Canal tolls, and the fact that there are many intermediate port calls and markets in South Asia, the Mideast and the Mediterranean on such services.

Fifth, not all carriers are likely to make the same ship size deployment changes at the same time in response to the new locks. Carriers' vessel inventories are built for specific trades and for the long-term, and deployments will take time to adjust.

Sixth, large ships do tend to be more efficient, so carriers can bring those greater efficiencies to shippers. In the end, however, carriers do not decide the routing of cargo; shippers do, based on a variety of factors including cost, their particular markets, a region's warehousing and distribution system capabilities and efficiencies, rail and highway connections, and their service time requirements. That is why ports' marketing efforts seek to attract major importers and exporters to locate their consolidation or distribution centers nearby, because such commitments by cargo owners tend to ensure predictable cargo flows through that port.

Seventh, many forecasters conclude that ships using the Panama Canal for services between the USEC and Gulf and Asia will increase in size when the new locks open. Based on the size of ships currently serving the Asia trade to the USWC and accounting for some increase in cargo demand, it seems probable that 6-8,000 TEU ships will become common for several years after the Canal is expanded. That does not mean that larger ships might not be used if market conditions warrant, nor does it mean that smaller vessels will no longer serve that trade. If ships' sizes increase, this could mean that there will be fewer vessel services using larger ships. This can present challenges to carriers' decision-making as they will need to balance shippers' demands for frequency of service versus the fact that bigger ships are only more efficient if their greater capacity is utilized.

Finally, there is a question of the effect of the new Canal's wider locks on the possible development of larger transshipment hub ports in the Caribbean or Central America to bandte very large ships arriving from Asia, which would then relay cargo onto smaller vessels for carriage to U.S. ports and to ports in Latin America and elsewhere. This is a possible scenario that is still being analyzed by trade experts. Transshipment can offer the potential of greater overall network efficiencies; however, it has the down side of causing slower total transit time for the cargo, and requires the added cost of double handling of the container. Different shippers and carriers may view these trade- offs differently. Thus, for example, a string of 1012,000 TEU ships could use a transshipment hub to route some of the cargo via smaller vessels to the U.S., some to Latin America, and some to Europe, etc. The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Panama are often discussed in this context of possible major transshipment port development using larger ships facilitated by the Canal expansion. In short, the issue of developing new transshipment ports as a result of the new Canal locks is being discussed, but carrier and shipper reactions are still being formed. This is simply one more reason to note that just because the new Canal locks will have a maximum capacity to be able to handle 12,000 TEU ships, it does not necessarily mean ships of that size will call at USEC or Gulf ports.

Sun Rises in Sunset Park | Journal of Commerce

Sun Rises in Sunset Park | Journal of Commerce: "Brooklyn may have a bridge, but unlike four major terminals on the west side of New York harbor, ships don't have to pass under it to get there. With a $1 billion project to raise the Bayonne Bridge still in the design phase and at least five years from completion, Brooklyn is re-emerging as a possible alternative at the Port of New York and New Jersey for the massive ships that will transit the Panama Canal's new, expanded locks." [Subscription Required]

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