Obama administration officials continue to put the spotlight on the importance of port infrastructure and investment to the U.S. economy.
On Monday, Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx toured the Port of Oakland, including the site of a rail-served trade and logistics park adjacent to marine container terminals being developed with the help of a $15 million TIGER grant in 2012 from the Department of Transportation. The logistics park is part of the redevelopment of the former Oakland Army Base by the city of Oakland and the Port of Oakland.
So far this year President Obama has given speeches at the ports of Miami, Jacksonville and New Orleans, while Vice President Biden has visited the ports of Baltimore, Savannah and Charleston. Foxx accompanied Biden on those trips.
Oakland is the first West Coast port Foxx has visited.
The Oakland port authority said Foxx was briefed on its efforts to install electric shore power to wharves so vessels can run their auxiliary systems at berth without burning bunker fuel and collaboration on freight issues on a regional, state and federal level.