The Port of Boston, New England’s largest port handling more than 20 million tons of cargo annually, is facing global and local challenges.
Long a source of well-paying jobs for middle-class families, the Port of Boston, which generates $9 billion each year, could soon be bypassed in favor of deeper ports. The Panama Canal, through which most ships bound for the East Coast of the U.S. pass through, is in the midst of a $5.3 billion expansion. When completed in 2015, the Panama Canal will be able to take cargo ships that are much longer, wider, and deeper than current ones. To accommodate these larger vessels, ports along the Eastern seaboard are deepening their waters to at least 50 feet.
During the past decade, the Massachusetts Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have prepared navigation improvement studies and filed environmental impact reports to deepen Boston’s existing 40-foot-deep main shipping channel by seven feet and the outer harbor by 11 feet in order for the port to attract deeper draft ships and ensure its continued use by the shipping industry. The final supplemental environmental impact statement and report were filed with federal and state agencies earlier this year, with state environmental approval allowing the project to proceed to environmental permitting received this summer (federal signoff still pending).
Deep Pockets Needed
Estimates for the deepening project are slightly in excess of $300 million, of which $170 million is eligible from federal funds, and the remainder a non-federal match. The estimated benefit-cost ratio of the project ranges from 4.5 to 7.2, and takes into account that substantial amounts of cargo destined for the New England region could shift from the Port of New York/New Jersey to the Port of Boston due to lower landside transportation costs. Strong leadership is needed from our Congressional delegation to secure a federal appropriation for this much-needed project. For the non-federal funds, we urge a combination of funding be provided from Massport, the state Legislature, and the state Seaport Council.
On a more localized level, efforts to ensure that future land uses are compatible with and supportive of port activities are crucial. Waterfronts in Boston and neighboring communities have enjoyed a strong renaissance, and land traditionally used to support maritime industrial and other industrial activities are now being viewed for non-port related uses. Special truck routes in South Boston designed to ensure that trucks bypass residential neighborhoods are now being suggested for passenger vehicles as well. These dedicated truck routes have been successful in keeping truck traffic off of residential streets.
In addition, large districts to support maritime industrial and related industrial uses, such as the Boston Marine Industrial Park (BMIP) and the Quincy Shipyard, have been key to maintaining a vibrant port. The BMIP has been home to cargo warehouses, ship repair, and seafood processing activities, while the Quincy Shipyard has tenants including a submarine manufacturer, the New England Aquarium’s marine animal rescue team and a dredging barge manufacturer.
Like Mayor Thomas Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick, Boston’s next mayor would do well to continue to support and foster a diverse and active Port of Boston.
Vivien Li is president of The Boston Harbor Association, www.tbha.org. Email: vli@tbha.org
