New director sees Port of NY & NJ at ‘critical point’ with infrastructure

Molly Campbell the new Port Commerce Director, at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), knows both West and East coast ports and the commonality of building and maintaining the “critical infrastructure” to make them work. Like some import cargo volumes, Molly Campbell has recently shifted from the West Coast to the East Coast, and, as she gets situated in her new role leading the Port of New York & New Jersey, she sees infrastructure investments as crucial to the bistate seaport’s competitive success. “The Port of New York & New Jersey is at a critical point now – and a lot of ports are – in terms of the mature infrastructure that requires a significant amount of capital investment,” Campbell said in an interview with the American Journal of Transportation. Campbell, who in July assumed the reins as director of port commerce at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, succeeding the retiring Richard Larrabee, spent from 2000 through March of this year at the Port of Los Angeles, the last half of that time as deputy executive director, before a five-month stint with Los Angeles World Airports. Alluding to shifts in cargo volumes to the East Coast from the West Coast due to labor and congestion concerns, Campbell commented, “Some of the disruptions earlier in the year in the maritime business have provided some opportunities to us. “I think it’s a great juncture for me, at this point, and for the Port of New York & New Jersey for us to be competitive on all levels,” she said. To do so is demanding billions of dollars in investments in projects big and small.

Investment Projects Big and Small While the $1.3 billion endeavor to raise the Bayonne Bridge roadbed, as well as the $1.6 billion undertaking, cost-shared between the port authority and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to provide a 50-foot-deep channel, will be essential in allowing passage of larger ships to port terminals, less pricey projects are also important.

“Quite frankly, one of the things that’s not the sexiest thing to put out there is just to keep our facilities in a state of good repair, to make sure our customers have the infrastructure that they need,” Campbell said. “A lot of the structure is aging, so I think before we start adding some of the shiny new things, we have to make sure that we deal with and improve the things that are already in the ground, that have been around for a long time,” she added. The $4 billion-plus capital program of the port authority is being buttressed by significant investments by operators of its half-dozen marine terminals plus such state projects as New Jersey Turnpike widening, facilitating faster and more consistent access between port terminals and large warehouse clusters. Other major projects include construction of a new Goethals Bridge (the key link to New York Container Terminal on Staten Island), via a $1.5 billion public-private partnership; comprehensive roadway enhancements; and added on-dock rail and intermodal container transfer facility capabilities. In fact, Campbell said the Port of New York & New Jersey is focused on four strategic goals: • Increase productivity (See article on page 6) • Improve infrastructure • Enhance revenues • Do it in a sustainable way. “The environmental piece is really key,” Campbell said, noting her familiarity on the “green” front. “California – the ports of L.A. and Long Beach – did some heavy lifting in terms of its monumental clean truck program and the clean air action plan. I think there are opportunities for us here to continue growing the port in a sustainable manner.” West and East In more ways than one, Campbell sees similarities between the Port of New York & New Jersey – the busiest containerport on the East Coast and No. 3 in the nation – and the Port of Los Angeles, which continues to rank as the highest-volume containerport in the entire United States. “They’re more similar than they are different, to be quite frank with you,” she said. “A lot of times over the years, I’ve gone to conferences and people say, ‘When you’ve seen one port, you’ve seen one port,’” Campbell continued. “I think all ports have their unique features, but we’re both landlord ports, the struggles in terms of competition are the same, dealing with some of the congestion issues, the efficiencies, the upgrade to infrastructure, not enough money to go around to do everything. Those are very much the same.” Campbell said the biggest difference she sees is in the governance of the two ports. The Port of Los Angeles is a city department. The Port of New York & New Jersey is part of a larger, bistate multimode transportation agency, as an authority competing externally with other ports and with the seaport competing internally in terms of overall authority priorities, such as multiple airports, the World Trade Center and trains that go under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey. “There are other things that this agency is doing, and I think that’s exciting, because you’re part of that,” Campbell said. “I can’t think of any other agency in the country that gets to do these types of things. “But,” she added, “at the same time, as the port director, my job is to advance the needs of the port and make sure we are doing what we need to do to continue growing the port in a positive manner, and part of it is working the internal pieces of the governance.” Campbell revealed that she began familiarizing herself with the New York/New Jersey port during a two-week residency at the Port Authority of New York & Jersey in May 2014, as part of research for her paper in earning professional port manager designation from the American Association of Port Authorities. “That was my first kind of ‘aha moment,’” she said of the residency. Just a couple of months into the New York/New Jersey job, Campbell is already feeling comfortable among her new colleagues. “The team in L.A. was great, but the team here is absolutely fabulous, and I say that not just in terms of the port commerce piece of it but in terms of the authority,” she said. “Everyone’s just kind of on it.”