Alameda County is the natural hub for goods movement throughout the Bay Area and the surrounding Northern California megaregion because of its critical goods movement infrastructure. The region relies upon that infrastructure to reach national and international markets. The Port of Oakland, Oakland International Airport, an extensive network of interstate freeways and arterial roads, and two major Class I railroads are among the critical elements of that infrastructure.

A Historic Port

The Port of Oakland has played a key role in commerce and goods movement throughout its existence. As author Jürgen Sorgenfrei explains in the book Port Business, "The maritime movement of goods and people has always been the cheapest and most convenient form of transportation, and for that reason the world has built ports since at least 6,000 BC."

The Port of Oakland's history began in the mid-1800s, when the San Francisco Bay became a working harbor, according to officials of the Oakland Seaport, which was founded in 1927. "Oakland was a small settlement on the San Francisco Bay's east shoreline during the gold rush days. Schooners sailed in and out of Oakland's harbor moving supplies and local goods. In 1869, Oakland became the terminus for the transcontinental railroad, establishing it as California's most important rail center."

Early on, the Southern Pacific railroad owned the Port of Oakland. The City of Oakland took over ownership in 1893 and has overseen Port operations ever since. "In the late 1960s, it was the first major port on the West Coast to build terminals for container ships, a revolutionary technology at the time," officials say.

Today the Oakland Seaport, which is a part of the Port of Oakland, oversees 1,300 acres of maritime-related facilities that serve a local market of over 14.5 million consumers, according to official statistics. An additional market of 34 million consumers is located within a seven-hour drive of the Port, while fully 50% of the U.S. population can be reached from the Seaport by rail thanks to railroad facilities located next to the marine terminal area. The arrangement allows for "a reliable and efficient movement of cargo between the marine terminals or transload facilities and the intermodal rail facilities," according to officials.

Last year, the Port of Oakland handled 2.3 million twenty-foot containers. In 2017, public TV station KQED explored what gets shipped through the Port. According to writer Jessica Placzek, "almost everything can be, and is, sent by container ship," including palm trees and racehorses. Some of the containers arrive empty, ready to be filled with California-produced wine, nuts, cheeses, and other exports. Many containers arrive filled with consumer goods, electronic components for local manufacturers, and other items. The capacity of container ships ensures their continued popularity. "Comparing the cargo space of an average freighter ship to the cargo space of a 747 airplane, it would take roughly 630 planes to move as much as a single ship," Placzek notes.

Improvements Ahead

In early July, the State of California awarded $119 million in grant funding to the Port of Oakland as part of the Port's Freight Infrastructure Program. "The grant award is part of a $1.2 billion state-funded program that will support the Port in making critical infrastructure improvements at its maritime facilities and roadways that surround the Port, and to electrify Port cargo handling equipment," according to a statement from the Port of Oakland.

On July 24, Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC), Port of Oakland, and City of Oakland announced details about two of the projects funded by the grant. The Freight Intelligent Transportation Systems (FITS) project will install state-of-the-art technology at the Port to more efficiently manage truck arrivals and goods movement, improve safety and incident response, and reduce vehicle wait times and emissions. FITS technology innovations include the availability of real-time traveler information for truck drivers and other goods movement providers on their mobile devices, giving drivers predictability and the ability to better plan their Port visits, officials say. The project is expected to be completed this autumn.

The 7th Street Grade Separation East Segment (7SGSE) project adds improvements to a primary gateway to the Port of Oakland. They include "reconstructing the more than 90-year old underpass that serves as the primary gateway for 40% of trucks entering the Port and that Union Pacific Railroad trains rely on to pass over 7th Street," according to officials. "These improvements will relieve truck and vehicle congestion, increase safety, and provide flexibility for seaport cargo operations. In addition to the roadway reconfiguration and reconstruction, the current bike and pedestrian pathway will be upgraded to connect with the waterfront and meet today's disability access and design standards.

"The essential role of infrastructure in supporting and sustaining our economy makes it imperative that we invest in projects like these at the Port of Oakland to catalyze and sustain business and employment growth in our region," says Stephen Baiter, Executive Director of the East Bay Economic Development Association. "Investing in improvements at marine terminals at the Port of Oakland will create lasting and wide-ranging economic benefits by enabling businesses to move goods in and out Northern California and the Western U.S. more efficiently while also mitigating local and regional environmental impacts of truck emissions by reducing congestion and traffic bottlenecks."

Many tenants have opened facilities at Hacienda because of its central location in the heart of Alameda County. The County's port, airport, rail, and road system makes it one of the most strategic trade locations in the world, according to the Alameda County Transportation Commission. Soon the projects underway at the Port of Oakland will make the region's established and robust goods movement infrastructure even stronger.

For more information about the Port of Oakland, please visit www.portofoakland.com.

For more information about the Oakland Seaport, please visit www.oaklandseaport.com.

For more information about the Alameda County Transportation Commission, please visit www.alamedactc.org.

For more information about East Bay Economic Development Association, please visit eastbayeda.org.