Florida Seaport System Plan - SeaCIP

Florida Seaport System Plan
Table 4.3
Critical Issues and Choices Facing Florida’s Seaports
Issue
Choices
Markets
Capacity
Environment
Land-Use
Access
Security
Risk-and-Change
Internal Competition
Funding
Public Understanding
How to accommodate existing markets – domestic/international,
container/non-container.
How to attract new markets – China, transshipment, short-sea, cargo
diversification, better integration with warehouse/distribution (the “Savannah
Strategy”) through freight villages, etc.
How to compete effectively with other South Atlantic and Gulf ports.
How to provide physical expansion where needed.
How to improve efficiency and productivity through technology and
operations.
How to mitigate marine and landside impacts.
How to implement needed improvements in timely manner.
How to protect seaports from non-port developments on adjacent properties.
How to obtain or preserve land for terminals and port-related industries.
How to provide needed improvements to channels, turning basins, berths.
How to provide needed improvements to highways and railroads.
How to eliminate or minimize redundancy and overlap of Florida and Federal
seaport security requirements.
How to reduce costs of equipment and day-to-day operations.
How to improve customs inspection procedures and reduce impacts.
How to provide adequate and flexible capacity to deal with service
disruptions.
How to provide adequate and flexible funding for “quick response” to
challenges, opportunities.
How to collaborate effectively with other Florida ports and further the
economic goals of the State as a whole.
How to ensure adequate, flexible funding for on-port and off-port
infrastructure requirements.
How to educate local and state leaders and the public about the importance of
Florida’s seaports and engage them in preservation and expansion activities.
In conjunction with these opportunities come risks. As Florida prepares for the
changes in trade patterns, they will have to assume a certain amount of risk. In
order to secure future business relationships, a port has to provide evidence it
has the capacity, facilities and pricing to attract and adequately service the
business. In some cases, this may mean deepening their shipping channels or
updating their waterside infrastructure. In addition, as Florida ports discuss the
right strategy, ports in other states are working on their own strategy that will
provide serious competition to the amount of trade Florida ports can secure for
the State. Some of the key factors are summarized in Table 4.4 following.
Florida Department of Transportation 4-16
December 2010