America’s Blue Highway Conference at SUNY Maritime

The Honorable Mark H. "Buz" Buzby, U.S. Maritime Administrator, will serve as the keynote speaker for the America's Blue Highway

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 — Highways, roads, and bridges in and around the New York metro area are increasingly clogged with bumper-to-bumper commercial truck and commuter traffic. That’s not news to anyone who has driven I-95 along the U.S. East Coast. The congestion increases air pollution— leading to increased health risks—and slows the flow of people, commerce, and goods to a crawl throughout the region.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) estimates that truck congestion and delays cost $862 million in 2017, and estimated that the cost would rise by 31 percent to $1.1 billion by 2045. NYEDC is investing $100 million in infrastructure to promote and establish waterborne transportation alternatives in and around the region.

On September 27, 2018, SUNY Maritime College and the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler will host America’s Blue Highway, a one-day conference that will bring together key players to discuss ways to move cargo transport off land and onto the water, thereby reducing road congestion and air pollution.

The Honorable Mark H. “Buz” Buzby, Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration, will keynote the event.

Other nations and regions around the world are increasingly seeking to move cargo traffic off the roads and onto ships. These marine highways are developing to enable and sustain what is called short-sea shipping, where freight is carried over water for shorter distances than traditional shipping operations.

“For marine highways to be successful in this country, we need to raise awareness of the advantages short-sea shipping has to offer,” said Capt. Eric Johansson, distinguished professor of Marine Transportation at Maritime. “This conference is an opportunity for urban and regional planners, terminal operators, educational institutions and labor organizations to learn how to integrate marine highways into their policies and plans.”

The Maritime Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has designated 25 marine highway routes around the country. One of them includes New York City, and the city government is initiating a marine highway solution to export municipal waste and other cargo through the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn.

The conference will feature a variety of speakers from around the region and the maritime industry: 

• Mark H. Buzby, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD)

• Cole Cosgrove, VP Marine Operations, Crowley Liner Services

• Scott Davies, Director, Ports and Waterways Planning, MARA

• Capt. Jeffrey Flumignan, Director, North Atlantic Gateway Office, MARAD

• Andrew Genn, SVP, Ports & Transportation, NYCEDC

• Robert Kunkel, Owner and Principal, Harbor Harvest

• Dennis Lombardi, Director of Strategic Planning, Romark Logistics

• Matthew Kwatinetz, Exec VP, PortNYC and Asset Management, NYCEDC

• Evan Matthews, Executive Director, Connecticut Port Authority

• Buckley McAllister, President, McAllister Towing

• Kyle McAvoy, Marine Safety/Naval Architecture, Robson Forensic

• Jim Pelliccio, CEO & President, Port Newark Container Terminal

• Bethann Rooney, Assistant Director, Port Authority NY/NJ

• Mike Stamatis, President, Red Hook Container Terminal

• Richard Teubner, Vice President SEACOR AMH

• Antoon Van Coillie, Director, Blue Line Logistics

• Derek Veenhof, Executive Vice President, Asset Management, Covanta

• Ed Whitmore, President and CEO, Norfolk Tug Co.

• Matt Woodruff, President, American Maritime Partnerships

• Ed Zimny, President & CEO, Seabury Maritime PFRA LLC

For more details on the agenda, click here. The event begins with a sponsored breakfast at 8 a.m. The conference begins at 9 a.m. The registration fee is $50 a person. Please click here to register for the event.