PORT NEWARK, N.J. - U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, both D-N.J., were joined by U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx and New Jersey Congressmen Albio Sires and Donald Payne, Jr. for the dedication of three super cranes and to celebrate the expansion of Port Newark Container Terminal.
Port Newark was recently awarded a $14.8 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) federal grant to increase capacity at the port to allow for larger ships, spurring economic growth and job creation.
“When Port Newark is strong, New Jersey’s economy is strong. If we want to move more goods, improve our economic competitiveness as a state, and grow more jobs, we must make necessary investments to expand New Jersey’s port infrastructure,” said Sen. Booker. “I will continue to advocate for more funding to make essential investments to the Port Newark Terminal which in turn will help create more New Jerseyans with high-paying jobs.”
Port Newark is the third largest container port in the United States, the largest on the East Coast, and the 19th largest port in the world. Handling approximately 12 percent of the nation’s cargo volume, economic impact studies point to Port Newark as the source of 461,350 direct and indirect jobs; $46.3 billion in personal and corporate income; and $6 billion in tax revenue.
The USDOT TIGER Discretionary Grant program provides federal funding for shovel-ready infrastructure improvement projects aimed at achieving critical national objectives. Established by Congress in 2009 to help the nation recover from the Great Recession, today’s announcement is part of the sixth round of TIGER grants, which collectively produced $4.1 billion in investment for rail, roads, transit, pedestrian and bicycle, and port projects.