News Release
FOR RELEASE - November 3, 2023
Contact: Shawn Balcomb, sbalcomb@aapa-ports.org
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced today $653 million in Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) awards funding 41 projects in 26 states and one territory. The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) — the unified voice of seaports in the Americas — looks forward to seeing these quickly deployed and put to use improving the capacity and operations of our country’s gateways, the dynamic engines of our economy.
“The Port Infrastructure Development Program is a bulwark funding source for the modernization of America’s seaports,” stated AAPA President and CEO Cary Davis. “The industry extends a sincere thank you to USDOT Secretary Buttigieg, MARAD Administrator Admiral Phillips, and all our champions in Congress. These competitive grants will be used to expand capacity, repair seawalls, build new berths, upgrade terminals, improve intermodal connections, and rehabilitate wharves and docks. PIDP is essential to maintaining strong ports, and by extension, a strong America.”
“Everything from the food we eat to the cars we drive to the lumber and steel used to build our homes passes through America’s ports, making them some of the most critical links in our nation’s supply chain,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These investments will help expand capacity and speed up the movement of goods through our ports, contributing to cleaner air and more good-paying jobs as we go.”
The $653 million in grants awarded today range in size from more than $54 million for a terminal expansion project in Port of Tacoma, Washington to $415,000 for the development plan of a 40-acre deep water port in Wrangell, Alaska. Find the full list of project awards here.
As awardees begin the necessary paperwork, AAPA is urging Congress to streamline outdated and burdensome permitting processes to get shovels in the ground faster. We are aggressively advocating for the introduction of our proposal, the Port Infrastructure Permitting Empowerment (PIPE) Act which slashes red tape, making permitting more efficient and predictable.
AAPA also worked closely with Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) to introduce an amendment to the House Transportation Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill that would have restored $213 million from the THUD budget back to PIDP for a total of $282.7 million. As currently written, the House bill only allocates $69.7 million to PIDP. Unfortunately, the amendment did not advance in the Rules Committee. However, AAPA continues to engage with key Members of Congress and staff, in strong support of full funding for PIDP.
About AAPA
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is the unified voice of port leaders and maritime industry partners across the Western Hemisphere who serve a vital role in job-creation, international competitiveness and economic prosperity. Connecting small business owners, retailers and manufacturers to the global marketplace, AAPA member organizations sustain 31 million jobs and 26 percent of the U.S. economy, and advocate for national policies and infrastructure investments in support of a resilient global supply chain and a positive impact on the way people live, work, travel and engage in commerce. Visit www.aapa-ports.org or on Twitter @PortsUnited.
