Buttigieg Hails ‘America’s Green Gateway’ at Groundbreaking
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and officials from across the nation on July 18 attended a groundbreaking ceremony for “America’s Green Gateway,” the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a $1.567 billion endeavor that will define the future of cargo movement at the Port of Long Beach.
About 500 people gathered for the event celebrating the project, which will double the footprint of the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres. Pier B will be built in phases, each enhancing cargo movement, with construction scheduled for completion by 2032. The project will more than triple the port’s capacity for on-dock rail to 4.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units per year. On-dock rail cargo is moved directly to and from marine terminals by trains, reducing emissions and stress on the local and regional road network.
“Today, work starts on a rail network that triples cargo volume, keeps costs down, and reduces pollution – and it’s all because of the historic funding made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration,” said Buttigieg. “Through projects like America’s Green Gateway and the hundreds of other supply chain improvements we’re making across the country, we’re making our supply chains more robust and resilient in the face of any potential future disruptions.”
“The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility will add 130,000 feet of new tracks, build 36 new support tracks and more than double the number of trains leaving the Port to 17 per day,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “These improvements will benefit the entire U.S. supply chain and get us closer to the operational and environmental transformation into a zero-emissions port.”
In recognition of the facility’s importance to the future of the U.S. supply chain, the Port of Long Beach has won $643 million in grant funding from federal, state and local transportation agencies for the project. The federal government alone has awarded $404.1 million, while the state of California has invested $228.8 million and Los Angeles County $10 million. Besides Buttigieg, also in attendance Thursday were members of the U.S. Congress and California Legislature, and officials from various California state agencies, Los Angeles County, L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
Watch a video about America’s Green Gateway, the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility. View fact sheets about the need for the project and the benefits it will bring across the nation.
Watch the entire groundbreaking ceremony here.
Port of Los Angeles Posts Strong June Volume; Cargo Up 14% at Mid-Year Point
LOS ANGELES —The Port of Los Angeles processed 827,757 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in June, a 10% increase over the previous month and less than 1% compared to last June, which was the port’s best month in 2023. Six months into 2024, the Port of Los Angeles is 14% ahead of the previous year,
“June was a great month at the Port of Los Angeles, capping off of a stellar first half of the year,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said at a media briefing. “The last six months have been steady and consistent, both in terms of cargo volume and, equally important, the efficiency on and around our terminal operations.
Matt Priest, the president and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, which represents 95% of U.S. footwear sales, joined the port’s media briefing. Priest discussed factors impacting the supply chain, and how retailers are gearing up for the holiday season.
June 2024 loaded imports landed at 428,753 TEUs, a 1.5% drop compared to the previous year. Loaded exports came in at 122,515 TEUs, an increase of 13% compared to last year. June marked the 13th consecutive month of year-over-year export gains in Los Angeles.
The port processed 276,489 empty containers, a 4.5% decrease compared to 2023.
Overall, the port has moved 4,731,491 TEUs the first six months of 2024, a 14% increase over the 2023 mark of 4,137,379 TEUs.