The ocean, our coast, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security. – President Barack Obama –
The United States is served by some 360 commercial ports that provide approximately 3,200 cargo and passenger handling facilities.
Introduction
Florida recently surpassed New York to become the third-most-populous state in the country “With 20 million residents and over 100 million tourist visitors per year. For example, with a population of more than 8 million people, plus 60 million visitors a year, the Tampa/Orlando region is a huge consumer market and projected to be the fastest growing region of Florida for the next 20 years. Its growth already outpaces South Florida by 2 to 1*. The state of Florida has also overtaken New York as the 3rd most populous state with over 20 million people.Transportation / General
Florida has one of the world’s most extensive multi-modal transportation systems, featuring international airports, deep-water shipping ports, extensive highway and rail networks and multiple hubs that allow for high-speed data transmission from around the U.S. to Europe, Latin America and Africa. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT or Department) categorized Florida state as 3th most popular state, based on the essential facts about passenger traffic and transportation system, its performance and impacting trends. FDOT’s primary statutory responsibility is to coordinate the planning and development of a safe, viable, and balanced state transportation system serving all regions of the state, and to assure the compatibility of all components, including multimodal facilities. A multimodal transportation system combines two or more modes of movement of people or goods. Florida’s transportation system includes roadway, air, rail, sea, spaceports, bus transit, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
- Highways: 122,392 miles
- Railways:
- Public: 2,743
- Public at grade crossing: 3,690
- Strategic Intermodal System: 2,325
- Waterways: 2,063 miles
- Bridges: 12,225
- Airports: 780
- Public: 128
- Private: 651
- Strategic Intermodal System: 17
- Spaceports: 2
- Seaports
- Local Government: 15
- Strategic Intermodal System: 12
Port Canaveral, Port Fort Pearce, Port of Fernandina, Port of Pensacola, Port Panama City, Port of Port St. Joe, Port Citrus, Port Tampa Bay, Port of St Petersburg, Port Manatee, Port of Jacksonville, Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades, Port Miami, Port of Key West.Florida Ports FURTHER...
California Ports FURTHER...
Texas Ports FURTHER...
New York Ports FURTHER...
Virginia Ports FURTHER...
Ohio Ports FURTHER...
Bottom Line
Each year, America’s seaports generate more than $4.6 trillion in economic activity, support the employment of more than 23 million people and handle some 2.2 billion tons of import, export and domestic cargo, including food, clothing, medicine, fuel, building materials and green technologies, such as wind-powered electricity-generating turbines
By providing funds to ports in the program and policy areas noted above, we can achieve modern, navigable seaports that are safe and environmentally sustainable, while creating jobs for both today and the future.
