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Connecticut’s Ports:
Transportation Centers for People and Goods

by Joan Yim, Parsons Brinkerhoff, May 2002

Follow this link CMC: Stats and Studies to download Executive Summary and the complete report.

Executive Summary

The Connecticut Maritime Coalition is a non-profit association of over 30 businesses and organizations working to facilitate the competitiveness of Connecticut’s maritime industries.  In March of 2002, the Coalition contracted with Parsons Brinckerhoff to review the numerous studies, articles and reports addressing Connecticut’s maritime cluster and to recommend actions to improve the public’s understanding of the maritime industry and its importance to the State’s transportation system.  The report’s focus is on the ports in Bridgeport, New Haven and New London. Funding for this report was made available through a grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, in partnership with the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.

The report notes that:

  • In 1997, the maritime industry cluster accounted for 349 businesses, 12,225 jobs, with and aggregate sales of $2.61 billion;
  • In 2000, Connecticut’s ports handled 19.2 million short tons of cargo representing a 12.5% increase over the previous year; of this total, 16.6 million short tons were handled at the three major ports of Bridgeport, New Haven and New London; and
  • In a 2000 survey of ferry operators, it was determined that of the 4 major operators reporting annual figures to the Federal Highway Administration, there were over 2.1 million passenger boardings and nearly 852,000 vehicle boardings of ferries servicing Connecticut’s ports.

The report further notes that Connecticut’s three major ports are “niche” ports handling bulk products such as petroleum and sand and gravel and breakbulk cargo such as bananas and fruits.  Connecticut’s ports are found to have many of the attributes of successful niche ports and opportunities for growth are considered.

Key challenges facing the ports are identified.  These include the required periodic maintenance dredging of navigation channels to support safe passage of vessels and to retain a cost-competitive advantage for the ports.  Another most pressing challenge includes the need to be prepared for Federal port security requirements that are likely to be enacted by Congress in this year.

In general, the report concludes that the three major ports, taken as a whole, provide a diversity of facilities and services, which is critical to attracting cargo, maintaining support services for vessels, expanding landside intermodal business, providing access for essential bulk materials, and supporting environmental benefits to the State.

The following table identifies the report’s key findings and recommendations.


Summary of Findings and Recommendations

Findings

Recommendations

The Ports of Connecticut and, in fact, the entire cluster of maritime industries, contribute to the overall economic well being of the State of Connecticut and its residents.

An “umbrella” state maritime policy should be developed to set the context for growth strategies and coordinated actions to achieve them.

The Ports of Connecticut are critical links in the intermodal movement of goods and people to and from the State, within the region, and internationally as well.

The State should establish coordinating mechanisms to maximize the benefits of public and private investments in port infrastructure and intermodal systems. For example, economic development funds can be “packaged” with transportation improvement funds and environmental cleanup funds to maximize the impact of Federal funding programs.  A focused strategy for such improvements is needed.

Building upon previous studies, a pilot project to identify freight flow in the state involving all modes of transport and identifying bottlenecks would be beneficial.  The state should consider establishing freight mobility advisory groups involving shippers, carriers, and other stakeholders.  A workshop bringing together public officials, intermodal freight transportation interests, and stakeholders should be considered as part of this freight mobility planning effort.

The Ports of Connecticut are “niche” ports which have a significant number of positive attributes typically associated with successful niche ports; building on these strengths, the ports have realistic opportunities for growth through increasing tonnage of current cargo, attracting new cargo and customers, and diversifying port operations in conjunction with other ports.

A market study of goods movement demand into and out of the State needs to be undertaken for a baseline planning year that will be used to identify near-term, mid-term, and long-term growth scenarios.

Those Ports of Connecticut with ferry terminals are part of an intermodal system to move people and goods, which are positioned for expansion should user demand and government policies support new locations and expanded facilities for new vessels such as high-speed ferries.

An in-depth ferry system demand survey and analysis should be conducted including variables related to speed of vessels, types of services, operating schedules, and origin and destination preferences.

The Ports of Connecticut require periodic dredging to provide safe navigation channels and to support cost-competitive shipping important to the state’s economy.

A “dredging task force”, led by a state agency, should be formed to identify the key issues related to dredging Connecticut’s harbors and to identify an action plan and strategy to address them, including a timetable and budget.  The effort would complement the Long Island Sound Dredged Material Management Planning process and would involve port operators, environmental groups and other stakeholders.  The action report should be prepared within a year of appointment of the task force.

The Ports of Connecticut include two critical national seaports, the controlled access port of New London/Groton and the strategically important fuel oil terminal at New Haven elevating the importance of implementing security measures at these ports.  Bridgeport is also critical to meeting the State’s need for waterborne commerce and petroleum supplies.

A lead “homeland security” agency at the State level should interact with the ports and Federal agencies in assuring that all public and private terminals are prepared to comply with expected new Federal requirements.

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