My Feverish Argument For JAXPORT Harbor Deepening

[Ocklawaha]

About that Jacksonville Belt Line Railroad idea? Here is an update on the Port of Miami.

Rail service to resume from PortMiami cargo
A Florida East Coast Railway train arrives at PortMiami on Tuesday afternoon in a demonstration run from the Hialeah rail yard. Rail service is being restored to the port for the first time since Hurricane Wilma damaged the rail bridge. Cargo service is schedule to resume next month (Within a week, MJ). From Miami Herald.
- See more at: http://www.internationalforeigntrade.com/page.php?nid=6396#sthash.C11QsFUt.dpuf

[tayana42]

My worry is that the costs are being substantially understated while the benefits are substantially overstated and we, the taxpayers, will pay for those differences for many years. Unfortunately, our port facilities are all at least 9 miles upriver, beyond electric transmission lines that are too low (175 ft) and a bridge too low (175 ft), and insufficient turning basins, with no rail link until 15 miles upriver.  Got to keep the ROI in mind and it looks shaky to me.  And that'w without any consideration given to the damage that will occur to the environment. 

[I-10east]

WJCT had a great discussion and debate about this topic on 'First Coast Forum' (aired 11/13/14). They are supposed to show a re-airing on Channel 4 sometime soon.

http://www.wjct.org/events/first-coast-forum-deepening-the-st-johns-river/

[Ocklawaha]

Nobody is building 8,000 TEU container ships anymore, shifting to 18,000 based on the economies of scale. That container business goes a long way toward supporting our local industry. This is a hit the city would never recover from.

[tufsu1]

^ supporting data for that claim please

[I-10east]

It's a worthwhile watch.

http://www.wjct.org/first-coast-forum-deepening-the-st-johns-river/

[mtraininjax]

With a new LNG terminal, one of the major fuel ports in Florida, a hub for Keystone Coal and a major exporter for agg material, with competition from Brunswick and Savannah, and to the point made that the port is 9 miles upriver, the port would be foolish to think that it is the best option for money to deepen, dredge and possibly destroy the freshwater river. Who pays for the spikes in salinity and destroyed ecosystems to allow for the deeper ships?

[strider]

I find that most projects like this in Jacksonville have little to do with the real ROI and lots to do with making money today, screw the future.  In the last two decades, what major projects went well for this city and which ones did not?  How did the millions of federal funds that came into this city help the people of this city? As long as the same people are in charge of things like this (and they are) then how can there be any hope for the future they are trying to sell us?  We will end up with a destroyed river and empty ports. There are far less expensive ways to make money from our river without hurting it.

[Rob68]

I find that most projects like this in Jacksonville have little to do with the real ROI and lots to do with making money today, screw the future.  In the last two decades, what major projects went well for this city and which ones did not?  How did the millions of federal funds that came into this city help the people of this city? As long as the same people are in charge of things like this (and they are) then how can there be any hope for the future they are trying to sell us?  We will end up with a destroyed river and empty ports. There are far less expensive ways to make money from our river without hurting it.

+1,000,000