PORT AUTHORITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2022-2023 TEXAS PORT MISSION PLAN 87TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION TxDOT Maritime Division 2022-2023 TEXAS PORT MISSION PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter From the Chairwoman .................................................A-2 The Port Authority Advisory Committee (PAAC) .....................A-3 INVESTMENT STRATEGY ...............................................A-5 Port Investment is a Statewide Growth Strategy ....................A-6 Types of Port Facilities ..........................................................A-8 Port System Overview ......................................................... A-10 Project cargo at the Calhoun Port Authority. How the Port System Works .................................................A-12 Planned Port System Investment ..........................................A-18 Funding Requested for the Port System ...............................A-19 Beyond the Texas Coast ..................................................... A-20 PORT CAPITAL INVESTMENT REPORT ........................B-1 Introduction ...........................................................................B-3 Port Capital Investment Report Development ........................B-4 Port Capital Projects .............................................................B-7 Project Profiles......................................................................B-8 SHIP CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT REPORT ...................C-1 Barge moving cargo near the Port of Harlingen. Texas Ship Channels .............................................................C-3 Need for Channel Improvements ...........................................C-4 Project Development and Funding ........................................C-6 Project Implementation Challenges ........................................C-8 Benefits of Ship Channel Improvements............................... C-10 Ship Channel Improvement Components ............................ C-12 PORT CONNECTIVITY REPORT ....................................D-1 Introduction ...........................................................................D-3 Freight Conscious Roadway Design.......................................D-4 Truck Queuing .......................................................................D-6 Modal Conflicts ......................................................................D-7 Incompatible Land Uses ........................................................D-8 Previous Connectivity Activities ..............................................D-9 Connectivity Funding Needs ................................................D-10 Identifying Port Connectivity Needs ..................................... D-11 Connectivity Solutions ......................................................... D-13 Port Connectivity Project List ...............................................D-14 References .................................................................................. E-1 Workers from the International Longshoremen’s Association Container terminal at Port Houston. at the Port of Port Arthur. 2022-2023 Texas Port Mission Plan Page i TxDOT Maritime Division TxDOT Maritime Division  LETTER FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN THE PORT AUTHORITY As chair of the Port Authority Advisory Committee (PAAC), I am pleased to present ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAAC) the 2022-2023 Texas Port Mission Plan. Texas is a port-driven state and relies on a strong port system to maintain its leading position as the nation’s top exporter The Port Authority Advisory Committee (PAAC) develops the biennial Texas and importer by tonnage. In 2018, Texas ports moved nearly 569 million tons of Port Mission Plan. This report highlights the funding needs of the Texas port cargo and nearly 2.2 million cruise passengers in 2019. According to the Texas system. The PAAC is comprised of nine members. Under Chapter 55 of the Ports Association, in 2015 Texas ports provided more than $368 billion in economic Texas Transportation Code, the Texas Transportation Commission appoints value to the state. The state’s maritime system continues to be a critical gateway to seven members of the PAAC to represent the upper coast, lower coast, and international trade, which is vital to the Texas economy. Port Houston. The Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives each appoint an additional PAAC member. Our ports have seen some of the highest export revenue growth in the nation due to the increasing export demand of commodities such as oil, gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and plastics. Four Texas ports were cited among the top ten fastest growing Mission “Elevate port issues as a vital component of the Texas transportation system and U.S. ports from 2018-2019 in terms of export revenue. Despite the recent economic Goals advise the Texas Transportation Commission and Department on matters relating downturn and residual effects from COVID-19, export revenue is expected to continue • Identify high-priority and to maritime transportation.” to grow and oil and gas production in Texas is still forecasted to nearly triple by 2025. strategic port projects and make recommendations The growth in the energy sector, combined with a steady economic recovery and to the department for growing consumer demand worldwide, indicates a strong upward trend in cargo to PORT AUTHORITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS be handled at Texas ports for the foreseeable future. Keeping up with such growth investment Phyllis Saathoff is challenging with limited funding to modernize our port system. These funding Chairwoman • Incorporate maritime Port Freeport challenges can be seen at the local, state, and federal level. Five Texas ports have Upper Coast Representative authorized federal channel improvement projects that are receiving insufficient interests in TxDOT planning federal funding, causing delays at a time when they should be a national priority. activities and documents Authorization for two more Texas channel improvement projects are pending. • Promote Texas ports for Phyllis Saathoff Michael Plank Allan Ritter Texas ports are investing heavily in upgrading their facilities. In the last five years, our Chairwoman Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the economic development ports have invested over $1.7 billion into port facilities and have leveraged $95.6 Port Freeport Appointee House Appointee opportunities billion of private investments. We have also seen great support for ports from their Upper Coast Representative surrounding communities, with two separate voter-approved bond packages that will • Identify federal, state, or help repair failing port facilities and fund the local cost-share to deepen one of our other funding opportunities ship channels. for maritime investment All Texas ports, large and small, stand to benefit from investments in the Texas port system. This plan identifies over $3.6 billion of planned projects in the port system. Roger Guenther Chris Fisher Larry Kelley Ports themselves will invest over $3.2 billion into their port facilities and to cover Port Houston Port of Beaumont Port of Port Arthur their local share of ship channel deepening and widening of projects by 2023. We Permanent Member Upper Coast Representative Upper Coast Representative anticipate that this will leverage over $68.7 billion of additional private investment in the next five years alone. Presented in this Port Mission Plan are high-value projects that will enhance port efficiency, improve the movement of freight through intermodal systems, create new jobs, and attract private investment. The PAAC approved this document and requested state funding of $2.19 billion. The Transportation Commission has included Ronald Mills Sean Strawbridge Walker Smith $460 million of the PAAC’s total request in their 2022-2023 Legislative Appropriations Port of Port Mansfield Port of Corpus Christi Port of Harlingen Lower Coast Representative Lower Coast Representative Lower Coast Representative Request. State funding for these strategic, capital investments will help accelerate the implementation of these projects needed to support the growing Texas economy, currently the 9th largest economy in the world, for decades ahead. We ask for your support of our ports, because investing in ports is investing in Texas. Page A-2 2022-2023 Texas Port Mission Plan 2022-2023 Texas Port Mission Plan Page A-3 TxDOT Maritime Division TxDOT Maritime Division Investment Strategy  TEXAS PORTS: Globally Engaging Our Economy Worker handling cargo at the Port of Brownsville. INVESTMENT STRATEGY Texas ports are critical to the economic growth of Texas. In 2018, Texas ranked second nationwide for total waterborne tonnage handled and first nationwide for total STATEWIDE IMPACT foreign waterborne tonnage of imports and exports.2 Ten of the state’s ports ranked Texas Ports in 2018: among the top 100 U.S. ports in total tonnage and five of the state’s ports are ranked • Moved nearly 569 million in the top 20 ports in the U.S. in total tonnage.2 Three Texas ports were among tons of cargo, including the top five fastest growing U.S. ports in terms of absolute export revenue.3 Trade nearly 414 million tons of through the State of Texas is a significant contributor in making Texas the world’s 9th international cargo, and 4,5 largest economy when comparing Texas GDP to national GDPs. Whether urban or nearly 155 million tons of rural, coastal or inland dwelling, all Texans benefit from the port system. domestic cargo2 1 Despite the strong position of the maritime industry in Texas, the single greatest • Handled over