2011 Annual Report 2 Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board Members FMSIB BOARD MEMBERS
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Adding Economic Value through Freight Mobility Investments Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board 2011 Annual Report 2 Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board Members FMSIB BOARD MEMBERS Patricia Otley Steve Holtgeerts Chair President, Hogland Transfer Company, Inc. Citizen representative Trucking representative Clifford Benson Larry Paulson Retired, Westwood Shipping Lines Executive Director, Port of Vancouver Steamship representative Port districts representative John Creighton Brian Ziegler Commissioner, Port of Seattle Director of Public Works and Utilities, Pierce County Port districts representative County representative Dave Edler Paul Ingiosi Council member, City of Yakima Transportation Budget Analyst City representative Governor’s representative Terry Finn Ex-Officio Director of Government Affairs, BNSF Railway Brock Nelson Railroad representative Director of Public Affairs for Oregon and Washington Rebecca Francik Union Pacific Corporation Council member, City of Pasco City representative Dave Gossett Council member, Snohomish County Council County representative Paula Hammond Secretary of Transportation Washington State Department of Transportation representative Introduction: Value Added To Our Economy Through Freight Investments 3 I NTRODUCTION V ALUE A DDED TO Port of Seattle OUR There Is A Need To Lead. We Cannot Within the United States the State of Washington ECONOMY Let Our Freight Infrastructure Decline. is now the 5th largest export state, with exports valued at $53.2 billion. Agriculture, mining, As recently as 2005, the World Economic Forum construction, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, ranked the United States No. 1 in infrastructure transportation, and warehousing are all dependent THROUGH economic competitiveness. Today, the United on freight mobility. These industries accounted for States is ranked 15th. The United States 33% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), spends 1.7% of its gross domestic product on 71 percent of business income, and 39 percent of transportation infrastructure while Canada spends state employment in 2008. FREIGHT 4% and China spends 9%. China has invested $3.3 trillion on INVESTMENTS infrastructure since 2000, and recently “ announced another $105.2 billion for 23 new infrastructure projects. Brazil has invested $240 billion since 2008, with another $340 billion committed for the next three years. The result? China is now home to six of the world’s 10 busiest ports – while the United State’s isn’t home to one. — Ed Rendell and Scott“ Smith, The Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2011 continued on next page Washington’s economic recovery needs unified investment focused on the strategic freight corridors that deliver jobs and growth -- not to “ mention our food, clothes, and shelter. FMSIB has a proven track record of leading targeted investments shared by multiple funding partners. The agency’s freight expertise is squarely aimed toward reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. — Terry Finn, FMSIB member, Director of“ Government Affairs, BNSF Railway Introduction: Value Added To Our Economy 4 Through Freight Investments (continued) Since its formation in 1998 FMSIB has completed 42 projects with ten underway or ready to go to construction in early 2012. When the Legislature created FMSIB they funded it at the level of $100 million per biennium. Diminishing public funds for INVESTMENTS transportation have reduced the FMSIB budget to approximately $10-12 million per biennium since 2005, yet through effective partnership arrangements FMSIB is continuing to leverage FREIGHT funds for strategic freight investments. RCW 47.06A.001 said: “Limited funding…require (s) strategic, prioritized freight investments that Photo credit: Stanley Houghton Collection THROUGH reduce barriers to freight movement, maximize cost-effectiveness, yield a return on the state’s To maintain this position we cannot let our freight investment, require complementary investments infrastructure decline. by public and private interests, and solve regional freight mobility problems.” ECONOMY Doug Duncan, President of FedEx Freight explains, “High transport costs may end up turning the clock We Cannot Be Globally Isolated OUR back. Transportation costs effect the decisions by shippers about where to route freight. Poor Washington’s capacity and reliability to deliver TO infrastructure increases those costs thus reducing international goods from ocean vessels to Chicago competitiveness.” (How Greater Access is and other Midwest and Eastern markets is under DDED Changing the World. SRI International for FedEx) heavy challenge from the British Columbia ports A of Vancouver and Prince Rupert. British Columbia The Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board ports have formed a strong partnership with ALUE (FMSIB) is in the unique position of leading the the Canadian government. Some say they have V way in Washington state to find the most cost- mounted an impressive and well coordinated local, effective freight infrastructure investments. As the provincial, and national effort to drag cargo away public is seeking even more efficiencies for every from the Pacific Northwest. state dollar spent, FMSIB is able to show that for every $1 they award, $5 additional are invested by In 2006, Canada started its Asia-Pacific Gateway partners including private businesses, federal, and and Corridor Initiative with a commitment to invest NTRODUCTION I local governments. According to a recent report nearly $1 billion in port infrastructure projects. (2011) prepared for the state’s Joint Transportation The Canadian government also has invested Committee: “The Delivery of Transportation Funding significantly in the Canadian National Railroad, and Services to Local Government”, FMSIB has which gives Canada a high-speed rail corridor leveraged 43% in federal funds, 25% from state directly into the United States, bypassing United and local governments, 11% from ports, and 2.5% State’s ports and the jobs associated with trade. from the private sector, including railroads. According to John Mohr, Executive Director of the Exacerbated competition from Canada and Panama are proving how price sensitive shippers are in choosing trade routes. Congestion, “ delays, and unpredictability are risks that increase our costs relative to our competition. — Cliff Benson, FMSIB member,“ Retired, Westwood Shipping Lines Port of Everett, since Canada kicked off its Asia- staff annually issues a call for projects and provides Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, funding guidelines. “Most of the growth in Pacific Northwest containerized cargo has been through Canadian Keep Partnerships Together ports.” Freight projects rely on multiple partners for a 5 variety of reasons. The very nature of freight It’s not only nearby ports that are in competition movement is multi-modal: ship, to dock, to train, with Washington ports. The widening of the to truck, to factories, to consumers and farmers I NTRODUCTION Panama Canal is set to be complete in 2014 to truck, to train, and so on. In addition, an providing more efficient access to Ports in the Gulf advocate such as FMSIB is needed to coalesce the Region from the Pacific. And on the East Coast and multiplicity of partners because each stakeholder, Gulf Region local governments and rail companies whether private industry or public entity, has have invested in infrastructure for routes with competing priorities. It is a complex mixture of the names: the Crescent Corridor, The Heartland diverse interests requiring creative solutions and Corridor, CREAT, and the National Gateway. V flexible approaches to keep all of the partners ALUE Growth within the BRIC countries (Brazil, India, and engaged. China) favors the emergence of a new connector in the Southern Hemisphere between the east coast A DDED of South America, the Cape of Good Hope, and to The Board’s mission is to: Southeast Asia. • Advocate for strategic freight TO We Must Build on Our Strategic transportation projects that bring OUR Advantages economic development and a return Stay Focused on Freight to the state ECONOMY FMSIB is the only transportation program in • Focus on timely construction and the state dedicated to freight mobility. The 12 operation of projects that support jobs member board of FMSIB is appointed by the • Leverage funding from public and THROUGH Governor and includes representatives from the private stakeholders public and private sectors, representatives who have first hand experience in the fields of freight • Cross modal and jurisdictional lines to transport and capital construction. The board’s create funding partnerships project scoring criteria are weighted toward • Serve as the de facto freight project- FREIGHT economic return for the state and its citizens. screening agency for state and federal The aim is to keep the State of Washington policy makers competitive and strong. FMSIB’s investments INVESTMENTS are not only supporting the state’s economy through maintaining freight mobility, but they are It is more and more difficult to find willing partners supporting local economies by providing family to fix key corridors because of the scarcity of funds wage jobs. for long-term investments. FMSIB helps identify Every project addresses physical obstacles to and put together the funding needed for freight swift and smooth freight mobility resulting in time mobility projects. Once a project has been selected saved, efficiencies enhanced, and jobs kept and through FMSIB’s rigorous selection process, the created.