San Francisco Bay Area ITE Scribe Report

October 2004 Meeting – Making the Connection: Security, Capacity, Efficiency & Logistics at the Port of Oakland

The October meeting of the San Francisco Bay Area Section was held in Oakland at Yoshi’s Restaurant. The venue was fantastic! Our lunch began with an update on the Student Mentor Program. Our section president, David Parisi, informed us that due to the high demand for the mentorship program, there is a waiting list for professional mentors. Members of the SF Bay Area section are excited to take part in the mentorship program, and look forward to informing bay area undergraduate and graduate students about the exciting opportunities in the field of transportation engineering.

The meeting topic was “Making the Connection: Security, Capacity, Efficiency & Logistics at the Port of Oakland” and featured presentations by members of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Oakland, and Caltrans. Ensign Richard Kocher of the USCG Maritime Transportation Security and Planning Office gave the attendees and overview of maritime security and the duties of the USCG. The USCG patrols all areas of the San Francisco Bay, as well as inland waters that border states (such as Lake Tahoe). Ensign Kocher explained the role of the USCG within the new Department of Homeland Security. Steve Gregory, Senior Strategic Planner for the Port of Oakland gave an update on the Port activities. Mr. Gregory discussed possible direct rail links to improve cargo shipping times between the Port of Oakland and California’s central valley. Mr. Gregory also discussed the future expansion of Oakland International Airport, as well as a planned light-rail or people-mover connection between Oakland International and the adjacent BART stations (Great news to Bay Area frequent fliers!). The last presenter was Matt Hanson of Caltrans. Mr. Hanson gave an update on goods movement research, and included a discussion of ITS technology applications in goods movement. Mr. Hanson provided information on Caltrans’ planned weight-in-motion systems and other emerging technologies.

The meeting was followed by an exciting tour of the Port of Oakland. Our tour boat took us through the Port, alongside some of the largest cargo ships in the world! As an added bonus, the tour boat gave attendees and up close view of the new Bay Bridge East Span construction. Some photos are included below: