VP Biden speaks Nov. 12 at the American Association of Port Authorities annual conference in Houston. Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle/Victoria Angela Photography

VP Biden speaks Nov. 12 at the American Association of Port Authorities annual conference in Houston. Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle/Victoria Angela Photography


Q: What do Vice President Joe Biden and the Port of Vancouver USA have in common? A: Love for and commitment to infrastructure. 

Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch. But the Vice President made his stance on infrastructure crystal-clear during his keynote address at the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) annual conference in Houston on Nov. 12. Port of Vancouver CEO Todd Coleman was in the audience, surely nodding his head in agreement as Biden shared his thoughts on the central role ports play in the economy and how closely tied infrastructure is to that role and our nation’s economic health.

Ports are “the lifeblood of the U.S. economy,” Biden said. “You are the best-kept secret in the world. People have no notion how critical what you do impacts…the economy.”

According to Vice President Biden, if all U.S. ports closed for 10 days, the loss to the economy would be $21 billion. This, he said, is “why I’m so consistently talking about the need to invest in our ports.”

Did you know?
According to the AAPA, America’s seaports move more than 1.26 billion metric tons of international cargo, worth about $1.75 trillion, and about 800 million metric tons of domestic cargo. All this activity creates millions of jobs and brings hundreds of millions of dollars in local and regional revenue.

Whether it’s being imported or exported, these 2 billion-plus metric tons of cargo have to get from point A to point B. Unfortunately, neither of those letters show up in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ infrastructure report card, which in 2013 gave our national infrastructure a disappointing D+. (For the record, the ASCE gave ports a C, or “mediocre,” grade.)

The ASCE estimates that, within six years, we’ll need to invest $3.6 trillion to improve the safety and efficiency of our national infrastructure.

Speaking locally
Here in Clark County, the ports of Vancouver, Camas-Washougal, Ridgefield and Woodland all have very different roles in our respective communities. We have a lot in common – job creation, developable land, public benefit – but one big thing ties us together: infrastructure.

Without safe, modern roadways, rail lines and shipping infrastructure, we won’t be able to keep Americans working and goods moving. Here at the Port of Vancouver, we’ve been investing heavily in rail infrastructure in response to tenant needs and growing demand for capacity, to the tune of $275 million over 10 years. We’ve come a long way and this investment supports current needs, but as national infrastructure continues aging and the region’s ports keep growing, we’ll need to do more to address the long-term needs of our nation.

We join the Vice President in his commitment to infrastructure, and the AAPA as it urges “a robust surface transportation authorization that prioritizes freight mobility and intermodal access to seaports.” These investments are so critical for the 360 ports currently operating in the U.S., and to our future as a nation.