A city that is showing some good leadership for the region helps turn the Port of Sacramento into a thriving operation.
Editorial: Port of Sacramento prospers, with more ahead
Proposition 1B funds can help ensure that its remarkable turnaround will continue
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Port of Sacramento has undergone an amazing turnaround.
Just two years ago, it was losing money. There was serious talk of closing it down. Then, Sacramento city and county officials turned policymaking authority for the port over to the city of West Sacramento, where the port actually sits. A new business plan was adopted and the port formed a lucrative partnership with the Port of Oakland.
Oakland, the nation's fourth largest port, was fast running out of space to handle the huge volume of cargo coming through it. Roads and rail infrastructure in and around Oakland were jampacked, in danger of gridlocking. Oakland sought Sacramento's help.
In partnership with the Port of Oakland, the Port of Sacramento has increased the volume of cargo it moves and its profits. The benefits to the region are huge. When cargo – typically including such things as cement, rice, lumber, wind turbines, coiled steel – is transported into and out of our region via ship, thousands of trucks are taken off highways. That reduces congestion on Interstate 80, slows wear and tear on the freeways and improves air quality. Cargo ships also relieve pressure on the state's overtaxed freight railroads.
