Florida Seaport System Plan - SeaCIP

Florida Seaport System Plan
Despite their diverse nature, Florida’s seaports as a system share a common
goal: economic competitiveness in a global market. Each has a different
market and commodity focus diversifying in containers – serving both Florida
and U.S. markets; and noncontainerized general cargo, liquid bulk, and dry
bulk – serving mostly Florida markets, although some northern Florida ports
serve the southeastern United States as well. They also have different trade
lane focuses. Some center on traditional routes such as Puerto Rico, Caribbean,
and Central/South America. Others are aligned with domestic services in the
Gulf and Atlantic. Still others are pursuing emerging markets with Asia and
other short sea/transshipment routes.
Florida’s geographic location, as well as its extensive coastline, has resulted in
the development of a system of regional ports – that is, ports that primarily
serve Florida’s businesses and residents. The largest population centers (South
Florida, Central Florida, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville) generally coincide with
the location of the large ports. The Seaport System Plan has arranged Florida’s
seaports into four geographic groups to help illustrate how the system functions
today. Each group of ports represents key consumption markets in Florida.
The groups are based on both geography and markets served. For example,
Port Canaveral is grouped with the North Atlantic ports due to its geographic
location; however, it serves the Central Florida market, which makes is more
closely tied to the Central Gulf ports.
While there may be some coordination and cooperation, each port within a
group operates independently within a competitive environment. Maintaining a
competitive seaport system within each geographic region is important for the
State’s transportation and overall economic sustainability. Florida’s ports are
grouped as follows:
• South Atlantic (Ports of Miami, Everglades, Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, and
Key West);
• North Atlantic (Ports of Jacksonville, Canaveral, and Fernandina);
• Central Gulf (Ports of Tampa, Manatee, and St. Petersburg); and
• Panhandle (Ports of Panama City, Pensacola, and Port St. Joe).
These subregions are illustrated in Figure 3.5 on the following page. Container,
tonnage, and passenger activity by subregion is summarized in Figure 3.6 on
the following page.
Florida Department of Transportation 3-7
December 2010