Racing To Keep Up, U.S. Ports Must Be Green, Lean and Connected
"There have never been this many things changing at once," says Larry Nye, vice president of port planning for Moffatt & Nichol, Long Beach, Calif. Todays planners face an "unprecedented" combination of economic, environmental, security and technological challenges, he says.
Asian countries generate more than 53% of container traffic to the U.S., and "the West Coast is not going to be able to handle all this business," says Nye. Congestion surrounding the two U.S. giantsLos Angeles and Long Beachplus a two-week longshoremens strike in 2002 have pushed major shippers to look for alternatives. As Long Beach caps work on a $585-million new terminal, other ports are pumping up construction to attract and handle shipper business.