MARITIME MATTERS – FEBRUARY 2019
A Great Year!
As reported by the Port Authority of NY/NJ, last year was a record-breaking one at the Port of New York and New Jersey. For the first time in its history, which dates back to when the first container ship sailed across New York Harbor in 1956, the Port broke the 7 million TEU (20-foot equivalent units) mark. The record-setting amount of cargo (7,179,788 TEUs) exceeded the previous year’s quantity by almost 7 percent. The boost was fueled by an 8.2 percent increase in imported goods, including clothing, furniture, electronics, and other products, over the previous record for imports set in 2017. The ensuing growth also resulted in the port handling one-third of all containers on the East Coast in 2018, a 2.8 percent increase in market share from last year.
Size and Volume of Cargo Ships Increases With the Rise of the Bayonne Bridge
The June 2017 completion of the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Project, which raised the clearance under the bridge from 151 feet to 215 feet, also played a role in giving last year’s cargo numbers a lift. The additional clearance allows the nation’s largest ships to now pass under the bridge to access port terminals in New York and New Jersey. Since the bridge project was completed, an increasing number of larger ships are calling on our port. Today, nearly 30 percent of the port’s containerized cargo is carried on vessels with the capacity to handle 9,000 or more TEUs–the size that could not transit under the old Bayonne Bridge.
ExpressRail Moves A Record Amount of Rail Cargo
In addition to a record-setting increase in cargo containers, the Port also set a new record for rail cargo. The Port Authority’s ExpressRail system moved 645,760 containers, up 13.8 percent over 2017. The record-breaking duo of container and rail cargo further solidifies the Port of New York and New Jersey’s position as a dominant port—the busiest on the East Coast and the third busiest in the nation, following Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Helping accommodate the Port’s pattern of growth is the recent partial opening of the $149 million ExpressRail Port Jersey facility, the concluding piece of the Port Authority’s $600 million capital investment program dating back to the 1990s. The new facility, which is expected to be fully operational early in 2018, fulfills the agency’s strategic five-year goal to handle more than 900,000 rail lifts in 2023, the equivalent of more than 1.5 million fewer truck trips traveling through the local roads. When ExpressRail Port Jersey is complete, the rail facilities will collectively have the capacity to handle up to 1.5 million containers a year.
Autos, Cruise Ship Passenger Volume, and Bulk Cargo Also Showed Growth
The port also experienced strong volumes in its auto line of business. Although total volume was down 0.7 percent when compared to 2017, more than 573,000 finished vehicles moved over port facilities in 2018. The auto line of business also contributed to more than 500 vessel calls in last year.
More than 856,000 travelers climbed aboard passenger ships at Brooklyn and the Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal in Bayonne, a rise of more than 17 percent over the previous year.
Port commodities such as road salt, scrap metal, and edible oils also saw strong growth. A total of 3.68 million metric tons were handled in 2018, representing a more than 16 percent increase as compared to 2017. A really GREAT year!
USCG
- With the recent spate of extreme cold weather, the USCG Ice Season activities are at full implementation.
- USCG Sector NY has fully ramped up to “normal” operational status after the recent lack of Government Funding. During the furlough period, the USCG did a great job of maintaining all essential services!
- The Portal Bridge continues to be a topic of conversation with ongoing teleconferences to determine working waterway carriers concerns. There may be a test deviation period to establish workable “closed times”, and “advance opening notification notice” procedures.
- The deconstruction of the old Tappan Zee Bridge continues. Survey has shown that there was no debris found in the channel. Salvage continues on the downed East Side span. The West Side span will be de-constructed by a non-explosive method (cutting), and no disruption to the navigation channel is expected.
- The next Hudson River Safety Committee is now scheduled for March 25, 2019. Location and time to be advised.
USACE
- USACE engineers are currently designing plans for the Summer/Fall maintenance dredging of the Newark Bay 40 and 50 ft areas.
- The dredging of Sandy Hook Channel has been delayed to late Summer 2019 due to the recent Government furlough period.
- It has been found that the Wards Point dredging area still has several “shallow spots”. The area should allow a 35ft clearance but is temporarily restricted to 34 ft clearance until the remaining shallow spots are removed.
PANY/NJ
- Dredging at Berths 76-92 at APMT and Maher has been completed for 50 ft clearance
- All dredging scheduled for Winter 2018/9 has been completed. Final charts are being developed.
- Plans are underway to decide 2019 dredging operations
- The NY/NJ Anchorage Study is continuing in coordination with USACE. An initial report is expected to be presented to our Harbor Safety, Navigation and Operations Committee in March.
- The study to determine the need of any harbor deepening study to improve accommodations for 14-18,000 TEU capacity vessels continues.
- PANY/NJ has received the specs of the long-awaited current meters from NOAA, and plans are now in motion to acquire, and deploy the equipment.
NYCEDC
- Response to the Maritime Support Services Study has been strong. The reply period closes on March 1, 2019. We look forward to seeing the completed report.
- The information requested by USCG regarding the revised Hallets Cove Ferry landing will be provided by the end of February, 2019.
- With the expected expansion of the NYC Ferry system several proposed new landings are undergoing USCG review to confirm safe operational parameters.
Education Sub-Committee
- Our Education Sub-Committee has advised that they WILL be conducting another Mixed Waterway Seminar this April. More details regarding dates, location, etc will be forthcoming shortly.
- The Education Sub Committee has submitted a proposed budget for communications and outreach activities. After review, it was agreed that creating a budget for these activities is worthwhile, and plans as to how to raise the required funding will be made shortly.
SHIPPING 101
- The Spring 2019 Session of SHIPPING 101 is scheduled for the week of April 8-12, 2019. The course will be held at Seamen’s Church Institute in the Port. Sign up SOON!!!!
NY/NJ Offshore Wind
- NY State has established a NYS Offshore Wind Maritime Task Force to consider input from the Maritime Sector. It is hoped that similar activity will take place in NJ, and that NY and NJ concerns are properly coordinated.
Deep Draft Guidelines
- After many months of operations with the “new” 14,000 TEU vessels, our Deep Draft Committee will undertake to review the existing Deep Draft Operating Guidelines to consider any updates or modifications are in order. We will apprise all parties of any such changes.
HSRP
- The next meeting of the Hydrographic Services Review Panel will take place in Washington, DC on March 5-7, 2019. As previously advised, Ed Kelly is a member of this NOAA advisory panel that evaluates NOAA navigational, climate, weather, survey products, and positioning data, and advises NOAA management as to sufficiency, problems, and opportunities.
- Please let Ed know of any concerns so that they can be relayed to NOAA.
- Our active participation benefits NOAA, and ensures the improvement of NOAA services, and puts NY/NJ concerns at the forefront.