Short Sea Shipping Initiatives and the Impacts on the Texas Transportation System (0-5695-S)

"Increases in freight volume coupled with current rail, roadway, and port capacity problems are stressing the capacity of the U.S. transportation system and interfering with the efficient movement of goods. The system is currently showing signs of strain." As policy makers and stakeholders seek mitigating solutions to the specter of landside freight transport network paralysis, maritime transport has again emerged as a potential solution and outlet for interregional North American trade. One aspect of this maritime transport that is a current topic of discussion at the national level is Short Sea Shipping (SSS). This proposal defines short sea shipments as operations that "normally consist of cargo moving within a single continent over coastal waters...", which in effect will limit the analysis to the Gulf of Mexico. For planning purposes, it is important for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to know what effect SSS services will have on cargo volumes at Texas ports. TxDOT also has a need to know what dockside and landside infrastructure will be necessary for Texas ports to accommodate a 21st-century fleet of short sea shipping vessels. In addition to landside access issues, federal agencies that process international cargo must also be accommodated. A six-step work plan is proposed to address these issues.