Port of Miami expansion won't save the city's economy, experts say

[thelakelander]

This article is about Miami's port but we should be asking the same questions about JAXPORT.

By Michael E. Miller Thursday, Sep 1 2011

With rust-colored railroad cars framing a scorching, azure sky downtown, city and federal officials last month lauded a $50 million project to reconnect the Port of Miami to Florida East Coast Railway lines damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The project is part of a three-prong strategy to prepare Miami's port for the massive superfreighters that supposedly will soon stream through the Panama Canal. In March, Gov. Rick Scott pledged $77 million in state funds â€" on top of $120 million of Miami-Dade dough â€" to deep-dredge the waterway. And construction of the $1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel has clogged the MacArthur Causeway for more than a year.

The three projects amount to a nearly $1.5 billion bet that the Panama Canal expansion will mean a boom for the Port of Miami. But critics say that isn't the case. Scores of ports around the country â€" including a handful in South Florida â€" are competing for the same ships. Only a couple will benefit, and Miami probably won't be among them.

"All East Coast ports had the same idea at the same time," says Jean-Paul Rodrigue, an expert on the Panama Canal expansion. "They all think that these ships are coming to them, so now they're salivating at the mouth."

In effect, Miami is spending itself into a hole to compete for table scraps. New York City, the nation's largest port, is the clear frontrunner for these large "Panamax" freighters, Rodrigue says. Norfolk, Virginia, already has a Panamax-ready port, and Savannah, Georgia, has better infrastructure than South Florida. Even Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades is deep-dredging and has signed an agreement with Florida East Coast for its own 48-acre rail yard.

"Miami is surprisingly not big enough in volume to justify a frequent service by these ships," Rodrigue cautions.

"The Port of Miami is very competitive," says port spokeswoman Paula Musto. "The economy of South Florida is in serious trouble. The only thing that can get us out of this... is international trade and commerce. So it's important that we're ready."

While the benefits are dubious, the costs are definite. "What a stupid fucking thing," says Dan Kipnis, a Biscayne Bay boat captain and environmentalist who warns that "we're trashing the bay forever." Like Rodrigue, he suspects most of the Panamax ships will skip both Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

"Look at a map," Kipnis says. "We're at the tip of the penis... Do you really need two warts at the tip of the penis?"

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-09-01/news/port-of-miami-expansion-won-t-save-the-city-s-economy-experts-say/

[reednavy]

that last quote sums it up pretty well...

[duvaldude08]

HA! The tip of a penus! I have heard it all

[Jason]

Great quote!  Duvaldude, you're avatar is very fitting in this thread too!

IMO, this is the reason Jacksonville can benefit most.  We're at the "base" of the penis connected to the rest of the body and are at the crossroads of two MAJOR arteries.  Bridge the rail gap at the port and make it deep enough for the panamax ships and we could blow the doors off of all other southeast ports.

[Ocklawaha]

My feelings exactly Jason. If peninsular Florida were a door, we'd be the hinge, equally close to either the wall or the door knobs. That geographical position puts us in the supreme location but that alone won't help when the Port, City and State, seem to have a case of 'premature Rigor mortis' when it comes to any advanced thinking in Jacksonville.

We simply MUST address:

Chanel Depth, too shallow
Mile Point, restricts movement
Multi-Carrier Rail Access
Low Level Power Lines

So far we're allowing CSX to bully us into a one railroad port. A neutral terminal company would solve not only our access problems but also open the door to commuter rail and/or light rail service over city owned trackage. Instead they are actually proposing a private port highway for trucks between Blount Island and the westside rail yards and perhaps on to Cecil. This highway lunacy persists even though a railroad would be cheaper to build, maintain, have a longer life expectancy and a much higher cargo capacity.

The option is to continue to spin our wheels focusing on ridiculous 'needs' such as Outer Beltways and the JRTC fiasco. Continue to stagnate and we'll surrender our postion to Brunswick or Savannah. Brunswick? Really Ock? Yeah, you see they also have CSX and Norfolk Southern but their trump card may well be I-22 the new Interstate Highway which runs from Kansas City-Memphis-Birmingham-Columbus-Valdosta... an interstate that was originally proposed as a KC-JAX multimodal corridor. Somewhere we lost touch and Georgia is pouring on the heat. Y'all know I'm not a big highway supporter, but for the Port, this slab is going to be a game changer, whoever anchors it. Stupid is as stupid does...?

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

My feeling is the clock is ticking and its not a JAXPORT friendly timeline. Wait five to ten years to get everything funded/completed and physical assets won't matter.

[duvaldude08]

Great quote!  Duvaldude, you're avatar is very fitting in this thread too!

IMO, this is the reason Jacksonville can benefit most.  We're at the "base" of the penis connected to the rest of the body and are at the crossroads of two MAJOR arteries.  Bridge the rail gap at the port and make it deep enough for the panamax ships and we could blow the doors off of all other southeast ports.

My Banana says it all.

[finehoe]

My feeling is the clock is ticking and its not a JAXPORT friendly timeline. Wait five to ten years to get everything funded/completed and physical assets won't matter.

That ship has already sailed (pun intended).  Like the article says, every port on the east coast thinks they are going to be the one to reap the benefits.  And at least the ones who have already started making the necessary improvments will be in the running.  Waiting for the first superfreighter to be within sight of the shore to start doing anything (which seems to be the Jacksonville strategy) is a non-starter.  We're already out of the running.

[Ocklawaha]

While I agree with Lake that the clock isn't very Jaxport friendly, but I disagree that we are out of the race. As usual the slow starter in the race but that doesn't always spell defeat. We have three HUGE assets that these other ports would kill for.

1. Western most port on the Atlantic Ocean puts us closer to midwest markets then some of the competition.
2. Being located at the bottom right corner of the bulk of the continental USA as opposed to the end of some appendage. Freight can flow freely North, South or West.
3. The only west coast style landlord port on the coast.

Played right, these cards could put us in the game, but as an aside, watch what happens with I-22, because it could be critical.

OCKLAWAHA

[north miami]

This article is about Miami's port but we should be asking the same questions about JAXPORT.

"All East Coast ports had the same idea at the same time,

"The Port of Miami is very competitive," says port spokeswoman Paula Musto. "The economy of South Florida is in serious trouble. The only thing that can get us out is this
While the benefits are dubious, the costs are definite. "What a stupid fucking thing," says Dan Kipnis, a Biscayne Bay boat captain and environmentalist who warns that "we're trashing the bay forever."

"Look at a map," Kipnis says. "We're at the tip of the penis... Do you really need two warts at the tip of the penis?"

Glancing back at my native Miami,it's sprawling presence,economic and socio machine,first I can not help but wonder about the likely reality that would reduce the region to solely pandering for this single element.
Captain Kipnis is a hand full,has hosted high profile events,even courted National and Florida Wildlife Federation,others but who would know?
Here in Jacksonville the River Dredge episode is played out within Southern Hospitality River Trash protocol standards.



http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-09-01/news/port-of-miami-expansion-won-t-save-the-city-s-economy-experts-say/

[Ocklawaha]

Kind of sad isn't it? Historically Robert E. Lee, JEB Stuart, Stonewall Jackson and company dazzled the military world of their day with bold, daring, decisive movements that kept a greatly superior enemy punch drunk for most of 4 years. If there was ever a case that would prove that Modern (Southern) Man has past his peak and is now well into devolution, Jacksonville is it.

OCKLAWAHA

[north miami]

As an aside re River Dredge salinity impacts perhaps the Lightning Slinging Monster win could be go with the Port deepening and focus on fresh water flow system;St Johns River major tributary Ocklawaha River.

Restore the Ocklawaha

[iMarvin]

I hope it isn't too late for us. The money shouldn't have even been wasted in Miami. All attention should've went to us. We're the only Florida port that makes sense.

[thelakelander]

1. Western most port on the Atlantic Ocean puts us closer to midwest markets then some of the competition.
2. Being located at the bottom right corner of the bulk of the continental USA as opposed to the end of some appendage. Freight can flow freely North, South or West.
3. The only west coast style landlord port on the coast.

In terms of the Panama Canal, I don't think one and two matter as much. If I want to get goods to the Midwest, why not go to a Gulf Coast port instead of an East Coast facility? If we can't raise a cool billion for the needed investment, three won't matter as much either.

[tufsu1]

I hope it isn't too late for us. The money shouldn't have even been wasted in Miami. All attention should've went to us. We're the only Florida port that makes sense.

sorry...but I disagree...Port of Miami and Port Everglades serves over 5 million people locally