San Francisco, CA - The Port of San Francisco (Port), California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) Secretary Toks Omishakin, California Association of Port Authorities Executive Director Martha Miller, along with representatives from the Water Emergency Transportation Authority and Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development toured San Francisco’s bayside waterfront for an in depth look at critical San Francisco waterfront infrastructure to discuss partnership enhancements for infrastructure and facilities.
“Under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, California is making unprecedented investments in our ports and goods movement system to strengthen our supply chains, improve resilience, power our economy and support environmental justice and community vitality,” said Secretary Toks Omishakin. “I thank the Port of San Francisco for the opportunity to see their operations up close and how it fits into our state’s broader transportation network.”
New opportunities for partnership include state funding that was approved in this year’s budget ‒ shepherded by Governor Gavin Newsom earmarked for port and freight infrastructure. This funding is critical for California’s ports who are on the front lines of resiliency and sustainable movement of goods and passengers, while grappling daily with climate change, sea level rise, and improving air quality.
On the waterside tour, Secretary Omishakin and Executive Director Miller toured the Port’s Maritime Eco-Industrial Center, learned about projects to convert the regions current ferry fleet to zero emission propulsion systems, and how the Port is preparing to address the challenges of sea level rise and earthquakes along aging facilities through the Waterfront Resilience Program.
The Port of San Francisco maintains a public waterfront for all. The Port is seeking partnership and funding opportunities to make the waterfront more resilient, ensure the safe transportation of hundreds of thousands of workers to jobs and homes, prepare and respond to emergencies, and continue to be an integral part of the regional, state, and national economies.
“The Port of San Francisco is home to regional transportation systems, such as maritime, cruise and ferry infrastructure; emergency docking, landing and staging areas; and the Embarcadero Roadway which is a critical emergency evacuation route. These systems carry and connect tens of thousands of regional residents to jobs, homes, and unique activities daily, supporting the local, regional, state, and national economies” said Elaine Forbes, Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco. “We are honored to have California Secretary Toks Omishakin, California Port Authority Executive Director Martha Miller, and their delegation visit our waterfront and partner with San Francisco to enhance and promote critical waterfront infrastructure in an equitable manner to ensure an economically vibrant and resilient waterfront for future generations.”
The Port’s Maritime Eco-Industrial complex is home to auto-exports through a RO-RO operation at Pier 80, primarily Tesla’s, and an import bulk sand and gravel operation to support the City’s construction industry. Ninety percent of the City’s concrete material is generated at the Port’s Pier 92 cement batch plant. At the Maritime Eco-Industrial complex uses are co-located to benefit from location and partnerships including, reduced transportation demands and reduced emissions, access to local workforce development, high paying blue-collar jobs that enhance the environment.
The Port’s Ferry Building is a transit hub that connects all of San Francisco’s neighborhoods and Bay communities through a network that includes BART and MUNI buses, trolleys, light rail, cable cars, and ferries. Through the Waterfront Resilience Program the Port is leading the City to ensure the waterfront, and its important regional and citywide assets are prepared to face the multiple challenges of sea level rise and earthquakes.
The Port of San Francisco is a unique Port that welcomes 24 million visitors annually and is the home of tens of thousands of working people jobs. Pre-pandemic the Port supported 10,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in wages. Port revenue is generated from over 500 businesses which enable the Port to support its State mandated mission. From small, family-owned businesses to cruise ships, the Port is part of the economic backbone of San Francisco and State of California.