csx is also gearing up for more cont, from overseas by dredging cont, ship ports, to make way for super ships that thepresent ports cannot handle. in jacksonville fl where headquarters is things are dragging too slowly. other ports are about ready but jax is behind. lots of conflict. too bad.other ports will get buisness they should get,but who has million to do it? why doesnt csx step up? flordia east coast would benefit and ns also. my opinion
Port improvements are not under the direct control of CSX or any other tranportation company. Ports are controled by the various Port Authorities which normally are politically appointed entities that are charged with the development and maintenance of the port. Channel width and depth of ports is maintained by the Corp of Engineers.
CSX and other transportation companies only control spaces that they have either leased or purchased in the port area and can develop those spaces to their heart and financial resources content - but they don’t control what kind of access vessels have to get to their controled spaces.
Port improvements, from personal observations, have always been contentious issues at all ports around the country. CSX, like all the other interested parties, has a voice in the converstaion about port improvements, but it does not have the final say in what actually happens.
Another holdup could be the approval of the US Army Corp of Enginers. They can nix any drefging by not giving their approval. This ususally does not happen though it could.
Chicago,
Even if they could, which as Balt explained they can not, CSX has nothing to gain by dredging JAX. If JAX is not dredged the containers will go elsewhere and CSX will still get the traffic.
FEC also has nothing to gain since most containers from JAX into its territory will go truck due to the short haul involved.
For the railroads to get involved in port projects, which is picking winners and losers, is a political nightmare. The joy of the place selected will be drowned out several times by the attacks from places not selected. There is no need for railroads to “borrow trouble”, they have quite enough of their own.
Mac McCulloch
Why would port improvements, which would help the local economy be contentious? I’m sure that being a port is the reason most of those cities exist in the first place.
It takes much hard work by many people over a LONG time to get the necessary appprovals to deepen a harbor or river channel; the folks in Savannah GA recently got approval to deepen the river and the turning basin for the port. I cannot remember how long they worked on just getting the approval, but believe it was 10 or 20 years. I am too lazy to look it up, but the Savannah Morning News has the info in back articles. And that is just the approval - now comes the struggle for funding.
Port Improvements generally evolve into two catagories - expansion of port controlled acreage and/or deepening of channels that service the port.
Over the years civilian use of acreage has come to border port controlled acreage, thus expanding the ports footprint entail all the wrangling that happens when other peoples land is involved. Deepening channels involves dredging. Dredging involves digging material from the bottom of the waterways and then finding some place to deposit the spoil. Because of what has been dumped into waterways over the years of uncontrolled plant waste disposal, in many cases the dredged spoil is toxic to varying degrees making it even more difficult to find a location to dispose of it. If you think operating a railroad in NIMBYland is tough, try disposing of dredge spoil in NIMBYland - and when it comes to dredge spoil, everywhere is NIMBYland.
And then there is the fact that while there is a Harbor Maintenance Tax designed to fund dredging, the money though goes into the General Fund, and Congress can and usually does spend the money elsewhere.
Murphy - Kind of strange that people living in a port city, that was settled because it was a port city, would fight expansion of the port, but rest assured that it does happen. The way I understand it, the port area in Charleston SC is hemmed in by the city, partially by the Historic District (HD). There is an effort underway to expand the port, but the snobs in the HD are yelling bloody murder about it. They are either old money or new money that desperately craves acceptance by old money, and they don’t want their precious HD any more sullied by all that grubby nasty COMMERCE than it already is. Never mind that a better port might increase opportunities for the common rabble who actually work for a living; let them eat cake.
SALFAN,
I’m gonna defend those NIMBY’s because I’ve been in Historic Charleston and seen the beauty of some of the old but well kept buildings there including the stately Customs House.
Only E. Bay St. (US-52) separates the historic district from the port facilities.You can see the intermodal yard and ships while diving there. It truly is a beautiful place that is in great condition for it’s age and it would be a shame to destroy it. There’s room in North Charleston for expansion. Just my opinion.
Cramped for the railroad; yes, but NS is still thriving there.
Norm, I’ve never been to Charleston, but have been to Savannah’s historic district many times, so I understand that it is important to preserve the historic buildings and neighborhoods. I would never advocate bulldozing history to expand the port. My issue is the attitude of many of the historic district folks, that there are no considerations other than what they want. I’m not familiar with the geography, but if there is room for the port expansion in North Charleston then put it there. Usually there is an alternative that will work for all parties, if the diehard my-way-or-no-way types can be overcome.
“My issue is the attitude of many of the historic district folks, that there are no considerations other than what they want.”
“No negotiation” seems to be the’ theme d ‘jour’.
No political commentary intended.[:D]
So far no one has mentioned the environmental concerns, and the environmentalists who embody those concerns.
Ports are, by nature, wetlands, or at least adjacent to wetlands, which are the habitat of all kinds of plants and critters which, according to the environmental crowd, are absolutely essential to the quality of human life. Disregard the fact that most people have never heard of most of the species involved, and that many of the people who HAVE heard of them regard most as noxious pests of no value.
Chuck