Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) announced that the Port of Hueneme will receive a $12.3 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the Department of Transportation (DOT).
“This is a big win for the Port of Hueneme. As one of the crown jewels of Ventura County, the economic impact of the Port on our local economy cannot be overstated,” said Brownley. “This grant will allow the Port to bring in new business, which will bring more jobs to our community. I’m so pleased to have been able to advocate for the Port, and congratulate the port commissioners, and CEO and Port Director Kristin Decas, for their hard work on behalf of the Port of Hueneme.”
“I cannot thank Congresswoman Brownley enough for her tireless work advocating on behalf of the Port,” said Port of Hueneme Chief Executive Officer and Port Director Kristin Decas. “The Port of Hueneme is an important gateway to the Pacific, providing thousands of jobs, building resiliency into the supply chain, and this grant will ensure that we can continue to grow, expand, and move goods efficiently for our customers.”
“I thank Congresswoman Brownley for her tireless efforts on behalf of the Port of Hueneme, including her help in securing this crucial TIGER grant,” said President of the Oxnard Harbor District Jess Herrera. “This grant is critical to the long-term strength of the Port and its continued contribution to our local economy.”
The TIGER grant for the Port of Hueneme will be used for the intermodal improvements, including the deepening and strengthening of the wharfs and berths, modernizing cargo infrastructure, and on-dock rail improvements. The grant is a critical component of the Port’s Intermodal Improvement Project which will allow for larger-capacity vessels, increased cold storage and cargo handling capability to support increased agricultural imports and exports, and on-dock rail that will allow for efficient transfer of cargo. The region will prosper from the Project’s comprehensive creation of economic development opportunities, new jobs and intermodal efficiencies.
In Fiscal Year 2015, there were 625 applicants, requesting $10 billion. However, DOT only has $500 million to award, making the grants extremely competitive. As the only deep water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Port of Hueneme is critical to the West Coast’s trade infrastructure. In 2013, the Port was responsible for 5,939 jobs.
Brownley has been a strong advocate for the Port of Hueneme and Ventura County’s transportation infrastructure in Congress, and was selected in January to serve on the highly sought after House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Issues: 114th Congress, Local Issues, Transportation and Infrastructure