Port of LA applauds $2.3bn Government investment

“Our supply chain challenges require both near-term and long-term solutions. I applaud Gov. Newsom for meeting the moment with bold leadership,” said Gene Seroka, executive director, Port of Los Angeles. “The Governor’s budget allocates $2.3bn for ports to address bottlenecks in our supply chain, advance our efforts to decarbonize the freight system, and ensure a robust and resilient workforce continues to move goods on behalf of the state and nation.

“These funds, together with our own dollars, private investment and new federal port investment in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will prove to be a powerful combination that accelerates delivery of critically needed projects like a first-of-its-kind goods movement workforce training campus, cargo support facilities, digitalization enhancements, and zero-emission equipment and charging infrastructure. This suite of investments positions California’s system of ports to be leaders in operational efficiency, sustainability, and job creation.”

The Governor’s $2.3bn plan for ports includes:

Port Infrastructure & Goods Movement: $1.2bn for port-related projects that increase goods movement capacity on rail and roadways serving ports and at port terminals, including railyard expansions, new bridges, and zero-emission modernization projects.

Zero-Emission Equipment & Infrastructure: $875m for zero-emission port equipment, short-haul (drayage) trucks, and infrastructure.

Workforce Training: $110m for a training campus to support workforce resilience in the face of supply chain disruption and accelerate the deployment of zero emission equipment and technologies.

Commercial Driver’s Licenses: $40m to enhance California’s capacity to issue Commercial Driver’s Licenses.

Operational and Process Improvements: $30m for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to provide funding for operational and process improvements at the ports. This could include enhancing the movement of goods and improving data interconnectivity between the ports to enable efficient cargo movement, reduce congestion, and create opportunities to increase cargo volume by promoting and building supply chain efficiency.

North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $259bn in trade during 2020. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.