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Port News
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Seaport Homepage
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Cargo Home
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Commissioners
John Creighton
Patricia Davis
Bob Edwards
Alec Fisken
Lloyd Hara
Chief Executive Officer
Tay Yoshitani
Managing Director, Seaport Division
Charlie Sheldon
Newsletter Editor
Nancy Blanton
Associate Editor
LaTonja Brown
Container Marketing Group
Linda Styrk,
General Manager, Containers
206-728-3873
Steve Sasala,
Marketing Manager, National Accounts
206-728-3667
Stephanie Kang,
Marketing Manager, National Accounts
206-728-3569
Steve Queen,
Container Terminals Manager
206-728-3328
Lily Ninburg,
Marketing Manager, Containers
206-615-3912
LaTonja Brown,
Market Research
206-728-3438
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Message from Charlie Sheldon
 The Port of Seattle has just completed two very important projects that will add immediately to our capacity to handle international cargo, grow our container business, and maintain our role as a key player in a very competitive business.
A new bridge between Terminals 25 and 30 will allow us to use that as a 70-acre container yard. It has been leased by SSA and will be ready for business in 2009. And, the second phase of improvements at Terminal 18 includes strengthening the berths and extension of the crane rail.
Of course, the background here is an investment by the Port of more than $1 billion in container-handling facilities over the past dozen years. These are just the latest, and you will continue to see the Port invest in facilities to help us reach an eventual goal of 4 million TEU’s annually, double our current figure.
The West Coast is a very competitive area for the business of international trade. Prince Rupert has just opened the first part of what is expected to be a container port capable of handling 2 million containers a year, and Yusen Terminal, a subsidiary of NYK, announced plans to build a 168-acre terminal in the Port of Tacoma.
NYK is one of the oldest customers in the Seattle harbor, and we look forward to continuing to provide excellent service for the next five years as they prepare their proprietary terminal in Tacoma. In the meantime, we are working with SSA, operator at T 18, to market that space to steamship companies not already calling in the Pacific Northwest.
We expect import volumes from Asia to double in the foreseeable future, and in Seattle we are seeing increases in exports as well. But we can’t relax. Plans are currently underway to add capacity for more than 80 million TEU’s on the west coast of the U.S., Mexico and Canada. And the widening of the Panama Canal – which is expected to be completed by 2012 – will give East Coast ports the ability to increase their marketing in Asia.
Look for details in this and future newsletters on how the Port of Seattle will continue to compete in this dynamic and changing business. - Charlie Sheldon
Happy Anniversary
Congratulations to Hanjin Container Lines, Ltd., for 30 years of service. On May 16, 1977, the company was established by the Hanjin Group. In 1986, the company opened their first exclusive terminal in Seattle. We look forward to a continued, long-term partnership with Hanjin.
COSCO’s New Butterfly Service
COSCO’s PNW-N and PNW-S services now operate in a butterfly loop. The service has nine 5500 TEU vessels. In August, COSCO’s PNW-S service moved from Terminal 18 to Terminal 46. With this service move, all CKYH services now call Terminal 46.
Trucker Appreciation Day
On August 28, 2007, the Port celebrated Trucker Appreciation Day as part of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Nationally, more than 3.2 million truckers provide a critical link in the worldwide transportation network through reliable, timely and safe delivery of freight. The local trucking community has a proven track record of skillfully moving cargo, without which Seattle could not succeed as a major container port. The Port distributed over 1,200 safety kits to truckers serving Terminals 5, 18, 25, 46, 91, Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) ARGO Yard and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) Railroad Seattle International Gateway (SIG). “It is a simple gesture for the port, but extremely appreciated by truck owners and operators,” says Kent Christopher, President, Western Ports Transportation.
New Port of Seattle Trucker’s Guide
The Trucker’s Guide to Seattle Seaport Facilities 2007-2008 is now available. The guide has been improved and updated to include traffic cameras and cargo terminal gate cam links. You’ll also find current contact information for cargo terminals, rail terminals and port personnel. To get your copy contact Steve Queen, or view it here.
Completion of Phase B at Terminal 18
The waterside dock apron is being strengthened to support additional 100' gauge crane rails for super post-panamax cranes. With the completion of Phase B, construction at Terminal 18 is closer to being complete. Once Phase C is complete in September 2008, the terminal will have four active container berths. Other terminal 18 improvements, such as yard lighting/hydrants, paving, drainage, and new lunchroom facility, are also underway.
Terminal 25 and Terminal 30 Redevelopment
The Port completed construction of a new concrete bridge linking Terminals 25 and 30, which allows us to provide a 70-acre container terminal. Railroad tracking and related structures were demolished, and the Port improved shoreline habitat by improving lighting for fish habitat. Construction was completed in August, and reefer plugs were relocated in September.
BNSF North SIG Yard Update
 Double capacity and better efficiency is coming to the SIG Yard. Testing and commissioning of the first rail mounted gantry cranes are underway as the North SIG Yard improvements near expected completion in November. In August, the middle yard paving was completed, and final layer applied. The remainder of the north yard will be paved once electrical work is finished.
SR-519 Phase 2
WSDOT is improving connections for ferry and freight traffic between the freeways and the central waterfront. SR-519 improvements will separate car, freight, pedestrian and rail traffic to improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety and reduce risk of collisions. WSDOT plans to present the results of its environmental analysis for Phase 2 to the general public in the future. The project is expected to begin in 2010 and end in 2012.
I-5 Lane Closure Success
In August of 2007, WSDOT closed several north-bound lanes of I-5 to replace aging expansion joints and pavement on a stretch of freeway from Spokane Street to the I-90 interchange. Initially expected to last three weeks, the project finished early in just over two weeks. Thanks to the work of WSDOT and SDOT staff, local detour routes in the Duwamish area functioned well, and port-related truck trips were not impacted by the closure.
TWIC
 Originally scheduled for April 2007, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) enrollment is delayed until November. If you have questions or concerns please call the TWIC Program Help Desk at 1-866-DHS-TWIC (1-866-347-8942). TWIC is governed by the Transportation Security Administration and enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Pilot More than 1,500 trucks calling Terminal 18 have truck RFID tags installed. In August, 64% of trucks benefited from their tag. They saved time by processing automatically through the auto out gate without stopping. Improved tags will be available during the next scheduled tag distribution in mid October.
The Cleanest, Greenest Port
Tay Yoshitani, Port of Seattle CEO, announced plans to make Seattle “the cleanest, greenest, and most energy-efficient Port in America.” The Port already has switched to alternative fuels in seaport equipment, and two cruise ship berths have shore power. Other improvements include green product purchasing, sustainable building practices, reduced energy consumption, recycling, air quality improvement measures, noise reduction measures, and more. Yoshitani believes Seattle can distinguish itself through environmental stewardship to gain a competitive edge. View his recent speech.
Three Ports Initiative
The Ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver, B.C. are working on the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, a partnership to reduce diesel particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions in the Puget Sound region. Proposed performance standards would reduce particulate matter by 70% from ocean-going vessels at berth, 30% from cargo-handling equipment, and emission reductions from heavy duty trucks. Read more.
| Cargo |
YTD August 2007 |
Change from YTD August 2006 |
| Total TEUs |
1,306,765 |
-0.7% |
| International TEUs |
1,065,805 |
-0.9% |
| Domestic TEUs |
240,960 |
+0.2% |
| Grain Metric Tons |
3,626,326 |
-6.4% |
 Northwest Container Services (NWCS), a division of Waste Connections, Inc.,
has provided containerized, short-haul, intermodal logistics services since 1985. NWCS’s mission is to improve freight mobility in the Pacific Northwest and other regions of the country by providing intermodal or multimodal transportation solutions to customers using rail, truck and barge. NWCS’s network of privately owned intermodal facilities is capable of building and deploying unit trains for short-haul rail service, typically 300 miles or less.
Over the last several years, NWCS has entered into Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) with ports and public entities that embrace their mission of expanding transportation options for shippers. Currently, NWCS operates four intermodal facilities in Washington State and Oregon linking the major West Coast ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Portland with ports in Eastern Washington and Oregon.
NWCS is primarily a “hook and haul” intermodal rail operation, contracting for dedicated rail line-haul capacity and engine power with either the UPRR or the BNSF. NWCS owns its equipment and facility assets, including 40 custom built double-stack container rail cars.
Terminal Holiday Closures
- Thanksgiving Day - November 22
- Christmas Day - December 25
- New Year's Day - January 1
Sporting and Special Events
Seahawks Football at Qwest Field
(800) 981-6465
Stadium Exhibition Center Events
(206) 381-7555
Other Port Events
Check the Port of Seattle Events page for a listing of upcoming events.
Audio recordings and Live streaming video of Commission meetings are available on the Port’s Web site, along with news releases of key actions and agendas for upcoming meetings. You can watch recorded Commission meetings Sundays at 1 p.m. on King County TV (Digital Cable 22).
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