Jobs, Business Activity on the Rise at the Port of Boston
The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has released a report which shows the Port of Boston contributed $8.2 billion in economic activity in 2018, up from $4.6 billion in 2012.
The Economic Impact Study shows jobs related to Port activities rose 32 percent to 66,000 between 2012 and 2018. These jobs represent the people who work in the cargo industry, seafood processing operations, the harbor sightseeing tours and the cruise industry. The number of direct jobs has also increased nearly 30 percent during the same period, from about 7,000 to over 9,000. These employees worked in Massport owned and operated facilities, as well as private terminals and facilities throughout the Port.
Since 2012, there have been several major projects to improve various areas of the Port. In 2017, Massport took the trucks off the neighborhood streets by building the Thomas J. Butler Freight Corridor, a $75 million dedicated roadway for container trucks entering and leaving Conley Container Terminal. This project is one of several that focuses on creating efficient connections from maritime facilities to the interstate highway system.
Another major infrastructure project initiated in the last several years is the Boston Harbor Dredging Project. The maintenance dredging of the inner harbor was completed in December 2017, and the deepening of the main ship channels will be completed by the end of 2021. The $350 million project is approximately 40 percent complete and will allow the Port to accommodate large container vessels.
Massport and the Commonwealth are also spending $210 million to create a new 50-foot deep berth and procure three new ship-to-shore cranes. This modernization project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
Massport is also planning for the expansion of Flynn Cruiseport Boston to add a second homeport facility and terminal upgrades to serve larger cruise ships carrying more passengers.
The Conley Container Terminal has seen record growth in container volume four years in a row. Last year, the terminal set a new record handling over 298,000 TEUs, boosting the Port of Boston’s national profile and ranking #20 in the American Association of Port Authorities’ Top U.S. Ports.
During the 2018 cruise season, Flynn Cruiseport Boston welcomed a record 390,696 visitors to Boston. The Massport owned facilities on the Boston Fish Pier are 100 percent leased, and new seafood processing facilities at the Massport Marine Terminal are under construction.
“We credit a big part of our success to strong partnerships with Governor Charlie Baker, our State and Federal elected officials, the International Longshoremen’s Association, our customers and the Army Corps of Engineers,” said Massport Port Director Lisa Wieland. “These collaborations have allowed us to make smart infrastructure investments and operational improvements to meet the demands of an evolving industry and a growing economy.”
The study was conducted by Martin Associates.
The report is available here.