Marine Highways

Roads around the New York metro area, and up and down many parts of the East Coast, are increasingly congested. The congestion increases air pollution, leads to poor roads, and slows the flow of people and goods throughout the region.

On September 27, SUNY Maritime College and the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler will host a conference to discuss ways to move cargo transport off land and onto the water, thereby reducing road congestion and air pollution.

Other nations and regions around the world are increasingly seeking to move cargo traffic off the roads and onto ships. These marine highways are developing to enable and sustain what is called short-sea shipping, where freight is carried over water for shorter distances than traditional shipping operations.

The City of New York Economic Development Corporation is investing $100 million in infrastructure to promote and establish waterborne transportation alternatives in and around the region.

“For marine highways to be successful in this country, we need to raise awareness of the advantages short-sea shipping has to offer,” said Capt. Eric Johansson, distinguished professor of Marine Transportation at Maritime. “This conference is an opportunity for urban and regional planners, terminal operators, educational institutions and labor organizations to learn how to integrate marine highways into their policies and plans.”

The Maritime Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has designated 25 marine highway routes around the country. One of them includes New York City, and the city government is initiating a marine highway solution to export municipal waste and other cargo through the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn.

The conference will feature a variety of speakers from around the region and the maritime industry: 

  • Rear Adm. Michael Alfultis, SUNY Maritime College president
  • Mark H. Buzby, administrator of the Maritime Administration
  • Cole Cosgrove, vice president of marine operations for Crowley Liner Services
  • Scott Davies, director of ports and waterways planning for MARAD
  • Capt. Jeffrey Flumignan, director of MARAD's North Atlantic gateway office
  • Andrew Genn, strategic vice president of PortNYC and asset management for NYCEDC
  • Robert Kunkel, owner and principal of Harbor Harvest
  • Dennis Lombardi, Romark Logistics
  • Matthew Kwatinetz, executive vice president of PortNYC and asset management for NYCEDC
  • Evan Matthews, executive director of the Connecticut Port Authority
  • Buckley McAllister, president of McAllister Towing
  • Kyle McAvoy, Robson Forensic
  • Jim Pelliccio, CEO and president of Port Newark Container Terminal
  • Bethann Rooney, assistant director of Port Authority of NY/NJ
  • Mick Stamatis, president of Red Hook Container Terminal
  • Richard Teubner, vice president of SEACOR
  • Antoon Van Coillie, director of Blue Line Logistics
  • Derek Veenhof, executive vice president of asset management for Covanta
  • Ed Whitmore, president and CEO of Norfolk Tug Co.
  • Matt Woodruff, president of American Maritime Partnerships
  • Ed Zimny, president and CEO of Seabury Capital

The event begins with a sponsored breakfast at 8 a.m. The conference begins at 9 a.m. The registration fee is $50 a person. Click here to register.

View the conference agenda.