Governor Gregoire Unveils Next Washington Plan for Container Ports

Governor Gregoire Unveils Next Washington Plan for Container Ports

Governor's products-to-market transportation strategy builds upon recommendations of the Global Competitiveness Council and the Prosperity Partnership

Governor Chris Gregoire today unveiled her container ports initiative, a plan to improve the movement of products to markets and workers to jobs.

"The Next Washington is a strategy that challenges Washingtonians to invest in changes we can count on," said Governor Gregoire. "Part of this vision is to make critical investments in our infrastructure so that goods can be delivered to their markets in a timely fashion. The ports of Seattle and Tacoma serve as vital international gateways for the import and export of goods and provide a critical foundation for our state's trade economy, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide."

One in three jobs in Washington is dependent on trade and the Port of Seattle was the fastest-growing port in the US in 2004 and 2005. The Port of Tacoma, with its larger available land base, believes it can quadruple its current volumes of over two million container units. Statewide, Washington ports saw imports grow 74 percent in the last decade and exports rose by 30 percent.

Washington regional economies rely on the freight system to move their products to market and, because of the growth at the ports, freight traffic in Washington has increased significantly. Truck traffic on I-5 and I-90 nearly doubled from 1994 to 2002 and both Burlington Northern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad have experienced an increase in the number of trains needed to ship goods into and out of Washington.

Governor Gregoire recognizes the significance of this growth and the related economic opportunity. She called on the ports of Seattle and Tacoma to move away from directly competing with each other and to develop a cooperative, strategic action plan that would allow both ports to take advantage of growth opportunity. This is the first time the state and ports have defined joint strategies and actions designed to increase the vitality and global competitiveness of major Washington ports.

"Our ports are well-positioned to grow dramatically in the coming years - but if we fail to act now we are in danger of losing container traffic to competitors on the West Coast, in British Columbia or in Mexico," said Governor Gregoire. "If we make the right investments, we will see tremendous economic benefits for Washington citizens."

The Container Ports Initiative calls for the following collaborative strategies:

* Increase mainline rail capacity in Washington;
* Improve truck freight movement; and
* Work to resolve land use compatibility and protection issues

"Having the Governor's attention means everything to our state's port activity and our competitiveness in the global market," said Mic Dinsmore, CEO of the Port of Seattle. "If you grow trade, you can grow jobs, good jobs, across Washington. Our ports are key economic and historic assets that our state cannot afford to lose."

"Governor Gregoire recognizes that container shipping through the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle generates hundreds of thousands of family-wage jobs throughout Washington. The strategic initiatives introduced today can secure the competitive advantages of our ports and expand the long-term economic benefits that trade brings to Washington. We face fierce competition from California, Canada and even Mexico, so we'll have to be even more competitive than we are today," said Timothy Farrell, Executive Director of the Port of Tacoma.

Governor Gregoire's container ports initiative is a part of her Next Washington plan, a ten-year "business plan" for the state that acknowledges the unique regional economic needs of the state. It lays out specific initiatives to improve workers' skills, connects research universities more directly with private sector and economic-development enterprises, boosts telecommunications and energy infrastructure and makes it easier to do business with government.

The Next Washington is based on three components:

1. Skills for the Changing Economy
Educating more people to higher levels
2. The Foundation for Success: Traditional Infrastructure and Beyond
Increasing movement of research to products to markets and supporting areas not growing as quickly
3. Open for Business
Make Washington an even better place to do business by reducing barriers and improving efficiency

"The Next Washington is my vision for our state - to build on our success and to recognize the opportunity we have before us," said Governor Gregoire. "It will take leadership and determination and I believe that our citizens deserve nothing less."

http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=441&newsType=1