Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Officials See Progress In Port Of LA Backlog And Delays Imposing Fees
Cargo containers sit stacked on ships at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images North America
)
Progress has been made in reducing the glut of shipping containers sitting at The Port of Los Angeles, so officials are holding off on charging dwell fees on important containers that are parked too long.
In late October, there were 95,000 import containers on the docks in San Pedro.
“After three weeks while working a record number of ships by our great ILWU men and women, we've reduced that 29% on the aging cargo side, and all imports are down about 25%,” said Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka.
But that's just the loaded containers. There are currently 65,000 empties to get rid of in the Port of L.A., though Seroka says sweeper ships have been coming through and more are on the way.
Support for LAist comes from
President Biden declared last month that L.A. County's ports would operate 24/7, but that hasn't happened yet. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with Seroka to discuss the backlog, saying the change isn't like "flipping a switch." He said the administration will announce a $230 million investment in U.S. ports through the Port Infrastructure Development Grant Program.
“As so many of us know, decades of under-investment in our supply chain infrastructure, combined with unprecedented consumer demand ... and of course, a global pandemic, [are] all combining to put our supply chains to the test,” Buttigieg said.
Seroka says the ports have been open 19 hours a day, offering flex hours for others in the supply chain to link up. That also has yet to happen.
“The warehousing complex traditionally work during the day and they found it difficult to bring in workers during this time,” he said. “On the trucking side, as we've explained before, drivers have a limit, federally-mandated, of 11 hours behind the wheel every day, and if they work consecutively, they must take a rest. We need to add more drivers.”
President Biden signed a massive trillion-dollar infrastructure spending bill into law Monday, and California is set to receive more than $45 billion (assuming the state can solve a labor dispute). White House officials say the bill will help get more truck drivers into the field, with an apprenticeship program to encourage more 18-to-21-year-olds to sign on.
The bill also contains $17 billion for America's ports, including the ports of L.A. and Long Beach. California Senator Alex Padilla says the package will help alleviate the cargo backlog.
“Whether it's something as simple as more land for storage of containers is part of it, but modernization of the ports, to make it more efficient,” he said. “Whether it's electrification of the ports, to bringing rail more directly into the ports to get cargo in and out that much more quickly.”
Support for LAist comes from
About 40% of all imported goods that enter the United States must first go through the twin ports of L.A. and Long Beach, which has seen heavy congestion this year due to supply chain issues triggered by COVID-19.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist