Primer on Port Regionalization Issues with Application to Texas

Port regionalization, the combined operations of two or more ports occupying the same body of water, has received little attention in published literature. A number of regions across the country have examined and proceeded with regionalization with varying amounts of success: The Ports of Hampton Roads, Virginia, New York-New Jersey, Duluth-Superior, Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, and Houston and Galveston, Texas. This revised report provides additional information regarding the economic, environmental, and societal factors impacting port regionalization. These factors represent the issues discussed and considered when efforts to unify ports began in the respective regions The economic factors comprise jobs, economic impact taxes, competition, carrier alliance, harbor and channel development, container ships, intermodal connections, and revenue bonds. The environmental factors comprise the location and size of ports, dredging, air pollution, and the expansion of facilities. The societal factors comprise organizational form, the loss of identity, and politics. The recent Houston-Galveston merger on Galveston Bay represents an ideal situation to examine the factors affecting port regionalization. Consequently, this revised report offers insight into the factors pertaining to port regionalization as applies to the Houston-Galveston merger.