April 2014
| Business World Magazine | 23
move goods to and from the ports.”
There are bright spots however. The latest
round of federal Transportation Investments
Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
grants, of which about 22 percent went to
port-related projects, and Congress’ passage
of the MAP-21 surface transportation reau-
thorization bill – which includes language
supporting maintenance of federal naviga-
tion channels and creating a national freight
plan – were signs that lawmakers are paying
greater heed to the needs of ports. Addi-
tionally, in January, Congress included more
funding than anticipated for port-related
programs in its fiscal 2014 appropriations
bill, and at this writing, was close to passing
