WASHINGTON: In its recently released 2016-2020 Port Planned Infrastructure Investment Survey, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) asked its U.S. member ports how much they and their private-sector partners plan to spend on port-related freight and passenger infrastructure over the next five years. The answer was $154.8 billion.
AAPA then contrasted that number with what it believes is the “best-case” scenario for investments by the federal government into U.S. ports, including their landside and waterside connections, through 2020. The answer was $24.8 billion.
The vast difference between the two investment numbers poses tangible concerns, according to AAPA president and CEO Kurt Nagle, particularly considering the need to increase government investments in federal navigation channels and the first and last mile connections with ports. It’s vital, he noted, that the federal government uphold its end of the partnership.
“Infrastructure investments in America’s seaports and their intermodal connections, both on the land and in the water, are in our nation’s best interest because they provide opportunities to bolster our economy, create and sustain jobs, enhance our international competitiveness, and pay annual dividends through the generation of more than $321 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue,” said Nagle. “From a jobs standpoint, goods moved through America’s seaports in 2014 supported employment of more than 23 million U.S. workers, up from 13.3 million in 2007.”
