Insights - December 2015 - (Page 9)

Port News Houston Adds First of Four Cranes The Port of Houston Authority commissioned the first of four new Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes at its Barbours Cut Container Terminal. The four 30-story high electric cranes are the largest ever constructed by Konecranes, and currently stand taller than any other marine cranes in North America. The cranes were ordered by the Port of Houston Authority amid ongoing infrastructure expansion to prepare in part for the larger Post-Panamax container vessels that will call at the Port Authority's facilities. "These cranes can move a loaded container twice as fast as their predecessors," said Roger Guenther, executive director of the Port Authority. "They will bring our Barbours Cut terminal capacity from 1.25 million TEUs to 2.5 million TEUs." In other news, Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas, announced he will launch a study to determine how the state can improve its ports to serve an increase in postPanamax ships heading for North America after the Panama Canal expansion is completed. The first operational crane began discharge maneuvers with a 4,250 TEU container ship. The cranes were ordered as part of a $1 billion, five-year modernization plan that also includes dredging and land-side infrastructure and wharf improvements. a statewide economic impact of $265 billion in 2014 - 16 percent of the total gross domestic product of Texas. The Martin Associates study shows the port's economic value to the state since 2011 increased $82 billion, or 45 percent. The Port of Houston marine terminals now support a total of 1.175 million jobs in Texas. Patrick stated he would create a port subcommittee on the Transportation Advisory Board, and he plans to form an interim select committee on ports. TIGER Grants Support Freight Expansion The U.S. Department of Transportation selected 39 projects to be awarded funds from the seventh round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant program. DOT received 627 eligible applications requesting a total of $10.1 billion, which was 20 times the available funding. Over $200 million of the $500 million TIGER VII grants were awarded Port News - continued on page 11 Houston Port Job Impact Tallied Cargo and vessel activity at Port of Houston terminals have generated nearly 148,000 new jobs since 2011, says Janiece Longoria, chairman of the Port of Houston Authority. An economic impact study determined public and private marine terminals at the Port of Houston had December 2015 | Intermodal Insights 9 http://www.IMCCompanies.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - December 2015

ATRI Study Urges CSA Reform
Senate Democrats Express Safety Concerns
A special thank you to the 2015 IANA Board of Directors
Sustainability News
Faster Turn Times and More Rail Ahead for Ports
Freight Reports
Port News
2015 Sponsors
Driver Coercion Rule Finalized
In Brief
Welcome New Members
Intermodal Calendar
People in the News

Insights - December 2015