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Marketing: Philadelphia

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Philadelphia: Intermodal Incentive Program Aimed at Attracting Container Traffic


Container ship at Philadelphia's Packer Avenue Marine Terminal.
Photo/Philadelphia Regional Port Authority

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is inviting shipping lines to participate in a new Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Program, which aims to increase cargo activity at the Port of Philadelphia.  

The program, which is effective immediately, offers a $25 per-container financial incentive to current ocean carriers utilizing Philadelphia for any new containers moved beyond a carrier's previously-reported container levels.

The program was established through PennDOT's Multimodal Transportation Fund, following consultation between PennDOT, port authority PRPA officials, and other Philadelphia-area maritime businesses. Similar intermodal incentive programs have been effective in the past at the Port of Philadelphia.

The Multimodal Transportation Fund includes dedicated budget categories for aviation, rail freight, ports and other transportation-related projects.

"This new intermodal incentive program is an effective tool to grow our container business, and a fair one, as it rewards both our current customers as well as new carriers who have been considering using the Port of Philadelphia," said PRPA Executive Director James T. McDermott Jr., executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA). "It's a solid investment on the part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as increased container business brings so many economic benefits to our region."

PennDOT expects incentives will draw at least 200,000 new container moves annually to the port during the next five years.

In his own announcement, Gov. Tom Wolf said: "Pennsylvania has a robust transportation system and our ports are a vital part of the movement of goods. The Port of Philadelphia is an important asset for the Commonwealth's entire economy. These incentives will help increase activity at the port, which will drive commerce across Pennsylvania and could create more than 1,400 good-paying jobs."

Rules and further details on the program are available from PRPA’s Marketing Department and from PennDOT at www.dot.state.pa.us

The program’s debut follows a fifth consecutive year of double-digit cargo growth for the Port of Philadelphia and an indication that more of the same is in store in 2015. The latest numbers show that PRPA facilities handled 481,251 metric tons of cargo in January, up 15 percent from 418,434 tons in January 2014.  

Liquid bulks accounted for 132,919 tons ( 40.3 percent), containerized cargo for 220,300 tons ( 11.3 percent) ro/ro for 20,349 tons ( 8.4 percent), and break bulk for 107,683 tons ( 0.7 percent). Other January data show the port handled 13,937 autos ( 5.4 percent) and 32,270 container TEUs ( 1.1 percent).

"We're very proud of the 15 percent increase in cargo we experienced at the start of this year compared to the start of last year," said Mr. McDermott. "While it is still very early in the year, these initial cargo figures demonstrate that a very productive 2015 is on the horizon at the Port of Philadelphia. Our agency works every day with our terminal operators, with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and with all sectors of the maritime community to make this the most efficient, productive port it can be, and these initial numbers show we're on the right track."
 

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