Don’t Sacrifice Port to Accommodate Disney

The Steamship Assn. of Southern California has followed closely the DisneySea (formerly Port Disney) project. Our members have grave concerns with its potential impact on our industry. This is particularly true for our members whose ships call at the Port of Long Beach and those who lease and operate terminals in Long Beach Harbor.

We have delayed making public announcements on the project until now, because we have been patiently waiting for the release of the Disney-funded transportation/traffic study of the project. Our members believe that the ability or inability of Disney and the city of Long Beach to effectively deal with the traffic issues raised by the project are critical to the compatibility, or lack of compatibility, between DisneySea and the maritime interests in the San Pedro Bay.

The Caltrans survey in 1988, conducted at the request of Assemblyman (Richard) Polanco (D-Los Angeles), measured the impact of heavy-duty trucks on the major urban areas of California. That study found that the segment of the (Long Beach) Freeway from (the San Diego Freeway) to the Port of Long Beach had the heaviest concentration of truck traffic of any segment of highway in the state--over 17% of the total traffic, on the average. At certain peak periods, that concentration can run over 30% of total traffic. In any case, as the residents of Long Beach and the users of the Port know, the heavy concentration of truck traffic remains steady throughout the normal business day on the (Long Beach Freeway).

There have been arguments set forth concerning the Alameda Consolidated Transportation Corridor (ACTC) and its ability to mitigate truck traffic in and out of the Port of Long Beach in the future. Indeed, ACTC, as originally proposed and conceptualized, would have been a tremendous asset in moving both trucks and trains to and from the Port of Long Beach. However, in most recent reports from the Alameda Consolidated Transportation Corridor Authority, we are now discovering that the project is not only in deep financial crisis, but also has been altered conceptually in such a way as to render it meaningless for “siphoning off” truck traffic from the (Long Beach Freeway). Indeed, based on current revised plans for ACTC, it appears that the main benefit will be only to move trains to and from the Port area. Hence, we cannot assume that the Alameda Consolidated Transportation Corridor will mitigate or alleviate the grave concerns we have concerning traffic congestion and traffic flow in and out of the Port of Long Beach, when impacted by the Disney project and its expected traffic patterns for the future.

Truck traffic is only part of the logistic issues that must be studied for the (DisneySea) project. The other major traffic question is how to manage the flow of visitors and their autos so they do not interrupt the commercial port operations. By which routes will they arrive, and where will they park? The complete traffic study needs to be released promptly so that the above issues can be either resolved or determined to be beyond solution.

SRI International conducted an economic impact study in 1989 and found that the maritime industry created 139,860 jobs in Southern California. The dollar value of direct and indirect transactions from Southern California’s maritime industry was $10.3 billion in 1989, and projected to be $14 billion in 1995, according to SRI. At least half of this economic activity results from maritime traffic through the Port of Long Beach.

We believe Long Beach, both the Port and the city, have the resources and the skills to find solutions to the issues that have been raised in this letter. The Port of Long Beach has grown from a small, insignificant wharf or two to one of the world’s great maritime centers. The Port has been the city’s most consistent source of pride, jobs, and stimulus to the local economy since the end of World War II. There is genuine risk that the effects of (DisneySea) could influence the diversion of a significant amount of local cargo through the Port of Los Angeles and other cargoes to the San Francisco Bay Area or the Pacific Northwest, and with them the jobs and growth the Port has generated in the past four decades.

Our members want the best for the city and the Port of Long Beach. We trust that the mayor, the City Council, harbor commissioners, Disney task force committees and others interested in this matter won’t overlook the importance of our Port to our city, and to the surrounding communities. It’s a vital resource that must be protected, promoted and preserved for the future. . . .

GEORGE MARSHALL

President, Steamship Assn. of Southern California

ANDY LUMLEY

Chairman, Long Beach Port Action Committee

LARRY KELLER

Chairman, SASC Disney Project Committee