Background
Going back in history, people and freight movement in this country have been built around water resources -- rivers, bays, canals or the coast. While river shipments mainly involve barge bulk movements, such as petroleum, grains, coal and iron ores, movements along the coast lend themselves to a greater variety of cargo including intermodal containers, heavy lift and break-bulk cargo. Trucking has, to a great extent, replaced this offshore mode over the last 50 years. However, congestion on our highways, bridges and streets, wear and tear on our infrastructure and quality of life issues such as noise and air pollution are slowly bringing a renaissance
in barging and small ship usage for the purpose of transporting goods along the coast.
The NJTPA has, over the last several years, been looking at the potential of Short Sea Shipping as both an alternative and a complement to the existing freight transportation system. Recent developments at the federal level (including the MARAD Marine Highway Program) are generating a great deal of interest and creating potential for successful implementation of coastal transport of international and domestic containers as well as containers on wheels.
NJTPA Freight Initiatives Committee Meeting on Short Sea Shipping/Marine Highways
The October 18, 2010 meeting of the NJTPA Freight Initiatives Committee (FIC) dealt exclusively with the topic of Short Sea Shipping and Marine Highways. Please follow the link below for the meeting materials.
NJTPA FIC Meeting on Short Sea Shipping and Marine Highways
If you attended this meeting, please complete a brief survey by following the link below.
NJTPA FIC Meeting Survey
USDOT Maritime Administration (MARAD) Marine Highway Program
The USDOT Maritime Administration (MARAD) Marine Highway Program was fully implemented in April 2010.
On August 11, 2010, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood identified 18 marine corridors, 8 projects, and 6 initiatives for further development as part of “America’s Marine Highway Program.” In addition, the Maritime Administration made available $7 million for which these projects will be able to compete through a Notice of Funding Availability. Please follow the link below for all of the information on the Marine Highway Program, the designated corridors, projects and initiatives.
USDOT Maritime Administration (MARAD) Marine Highway Program
New Jersey Department of Transportation Office of Maritime Resources
The New Jersey Department of Transportation has a very active Office of Maritime Resources. Please follow the link below to learn about their activities.
NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources
The USDOT Maritime Administration (MARAD) recently selected the New Jersey Marine Highway Platform as one of six initiatives for further development as part of “America’s Marine Highway Program.” Please follow the link below for the NJDOT submission to MARAD.
NJ Marine Highway Initiative (pdf, 11.2Mb)
M-95 Marine Highway Designation
The I-95 Corridor Coalition’s waterside system was selected as a Marine Highway Corridor under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) America’s Marine Highway Program, a new initiative to move more cargo on the water rather than on crowded highways. As the sponsor of the M-95 Marine Highway Corridor, the I-95 Corridor Coalition will be assisted by the USDOT Maritime Administration in developing transportation services and identifying potential freight and passenger markets. Please follow the link below for the I-95 Corridor Coalition submission to MARAD.
Application for Designation of the I-95 Marine Highway Corridor
The Corridor is home to 15 of the largest 50 marine ports in the United States (as ranked by total throughput). These ports handle approximately 582 million short tons of cargo, or 26 percent of the national total. Much of this freight begins or ends its journeys with transport along I-95. The East coast also possesses a host of waterways, bays, rivers, and the Atlantic coast itself. The Corridor is also lined with less congested, smaller niche ports that could play a vital part in the developing marine highway service network. While several Marine Highway operations already serve this corridor, there is significant opportunity for expansion to help address growing congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy, and lower landside infrastructure maintenance costs.
Please follow the link below to the I-95 Corridor Coalition’s Short Sea and Coastal Shipping Options Study.
I-95 Corridor Coalition Short Sea and Coastal Shipping Study