SACRAMENTO – Leaders around the country are expressing support for Governor Newsom and Secretary Buttigieg’s announcement of a strategic partnership to help facilitate innovative projects and financing opportunities for multi-billion infrastructure improvements in California. The Emerging Projects Agreement allows California to expedite work on a network of related projects that collectively will help grow the economy, protect the environment, facilitate the movement of imports and exports, and bring supply chain processes into the 21st century to create resilience throughout the critical trade corridors of California and the U.S., including around San Pedro Bay and the Inland Empire.
The announcement this week follows Governor’s Newsom’s executive order to help tackle supply chain issues, and is part of the ongoing efforts of the Biden-Harris Task Force on Supply Chain Disruptions. California’s recently enacted budget includes $250 million for ports, $280 million for infrastructure projects at and around the Port of Oakland, and $1.3 billion over three years for zero-emission trucks, transit buses and school buses, including the deployment of more than 1,000 zero-emission port drayage trucks.
Here’s what national and legislative leaders had to say about Governor Newsom’s announcement:
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: “The time to modernize our infrastructure is now. The US Department of Transportation and the California State Transportation Agency will work together through an Emerging Projects Agreement to address challenges to our supply chain, strengthen supply chain resilience, and grow our economy.”
Port Envoy John D. Porcari: “The Emerging Projects Agreement today provides the State of California with a foundation to build a comprehensive program of public and public-private projects that will help build a stronger, more resilient goods movement chain that grows the economy by exporting and importing more goods. With today’s agreement, we will create an innovative federal-state partnership that will serve as a model for other states.”
White House Director of the Economic Council Brian Deese: “This federal-state partnership to build supply chain resilience will have an outsized impact on all Americans. California is one of the key gateways for getting goods to market across the country, and its workers are doing a heroic job helping to meet historically high demand.”
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka: “Having our federal and state transportation agencies working in unison to help fund infrastructure is exactly what we need. We have projects in need of funding that will reduce cargo delays, improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve safety for waterfront workers and motorists throughout the region.”
Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero: “This federal-state partnership will ensure the creation of local infrastructure projects aimed at improving freight movement between the San Pedro Bay ports complex and distribution centers in the Inland Empire. This plan builds on our ongoing efforts to identify immediate and long-term solutions that will expedite cargo shipments and address an historic cargo surge and forecasted cargo growth.”
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA): “California ports play a central role in the movement of goods throughout the United States — the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach alone account for an estimated 40 percent of the container traffic that enters the country. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Newsom and the Biden-Harris Administration, this partnership will improve and strengthen our supply chain infrastructure, jumpstart electrification projects, and ensure California has the resources it needs. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Secretary Buttigieg and the administration to address both the short-term and long-term challenges at our ports and in our communities.”
Congressmember Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40): “The Port of LA and other CA ports are critical to the US economy. As Congress works to pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill, I thank the US Department of Transportation for teaming up with the California State Transportation Agency to modernize both our ports & the truck/rail systems that serve them and improve their future efficiency.”
Congressmember Grace Napolitano (CA-32): “I applaud Secretary Pete Buttigieg for announcing $5 billion for Southern California from the RRIF & TIFIA programs, which I coauthored in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to be used for this exact purpose. This funding will finance critical projects in our region that relieve highway congestion caused by trucks, increase safety at railroad crossings & improve air quality. We thank the Biden-Harris administration for taking great steps to improve shipping and create jobs while also mitigating the impacts trucks & trains have on our local communities.”
Congressmember Alan Lowenthal (CA-47): “Modernizing our infrastructure will address challenges in our supply chain, strengthen supply chain resiliency, & continue to grow our economy. I applaud the US Department of Transportation and Governor Newsom working together to advance our port, rail, and surface freight mobility projects.”
Congressmember Juan Vargas (CA-51): “I am looking forward to the Emerging Projects Agreement between the US Department of Transportation and the California State Transportation Agency, which will help facilitate the development of freight mobility projects in California, addressing supply chain resilience, equity and environmental justice.”
Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach): “I am glad to see California and the federal government working together to find solutions to modernize our ports. These funds are promising, but we need to take a complete look at the details to ensure this investment will produce the fixes we need.”
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia: “The US Department of Transportation and the California State Transportation Agency just announced a great strategic partnership to improve the capacity & resiliency of our supply chain. The agreement will help grow the economy and protect the environment. The Port of Long Beach can help. We have on-dock rail projects that can alleviate congestion, improve air quality and bring the California supply chain into the 21st century. Huge thanks to Governor Newsom & Secretary Buttigieg for taking action.”
Alameda County Transportation Committee: “Alameda County Transportation Committee is pleased to partner with the federal government & the state of California to develop a comprehensive approach to address critical goods movement needs in Alameda County and the nation.”
Consumer Brands: “Glad to see this commitment to partnership from the US Department of Transportation and California State Transportation Agency. It’s the kind of continued attention the supply chain needs (and consumers deserve).”
Build the Era: “Today’s agreement allows CA to expedite work on a network of related projects that collectively will help grow the economy, protect the environment, facilitate the movement of imports & exports, & bring supply chain processes into the 21st century.”
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