$100 Billion More in Trade Flows Through Portland Than Rest of Oregon
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Over $140 billion worth of trade traveled through Portland to the rest of the world in 2010, Brookings Institute reported. The rest of Oregon saw $43.6 billion in trade.
Electronics were shipped to and from Portland the most. Over $25 billion worth were shipped in 2010. Agriculture was next, with over $17 billion worth of goods shipped.
A majority of Portland’s traded goods end up at the Port of Portland, who made over $250 million in annual trade revenues last year.
“Trade plays a vital role in creating a vibrant and healthy economy,” Josh Thomas, spokesman with the Portland of Portland said. “Hundreds of companies statewide depend on the Port of Portland to get their products to and from local markets.
Portland is the fourth largest freight hub on the west coast, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The hub is vital to Portland’s job economy, with ever one out of 9 Portland area residents employed in the transportation sector.
Most of Portland’s trade goes to nearby metro areas. Seattle was the biggest partner, with $16.8 billion worth of goods shipped between the two cities.
Traffic Congestion
Photo credit: iStock
The stretch of I-5 Northbound freeway between exit 299 for Macadam Ave and exit 208 for North Tomahawk Island Drive was ranked the 17th worst corridor for congestion in the country by INRIX. The 10 mile stretch takes 25 minutes to travel during peak delay times, causing 99 hours of delay a year.
For trucking companies, just a few hours of traffic delay can set drivers back for days. Owens explained federal rules for truck drivers require they sign off for 10 hours after driving 10 hours. If traffic interferes and makes them miss scheduled pick-ups, drivers may have to pull over before reaching their destination, waiting 10 hours before continuing their trip.
There are many trouble spots for truck traffic in Portland. Areas around Sawn Island, the Clackamas industrial district, and Portland Airport are all busy corridors for freight traffic according to Don Hamilton, spokesman for Oregon Department of Transportation.
“The ability of a region to move goods and services is critical to what we are doing as transpiration system,” Hamilton said. “Transportation is what helps cities live and breathe.”
Fixing the Problem
Lowering congestion has become a focus for government and private agencies.
The Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project, started in 2005, attempted to help freeway traffic between Oregon and Washington by improving the I-5 bridge. However, the project was shut down in March 2014.
Hamilton said ODOT has focused a great deal of research and projects on stopping congestion and crashes that cause it. One is the Sunrise Corridor Project, which adds a new road between I-205 and 122nd avenue. Scheduled for completion in 2016, Hamilton said the project will help the serious freight congestion caused by Fred Meyer and Safeway’s distribution centers in the area.
The department has also added more electronic sings with travel times and advisory speed to help prevent crashes and free up the roads.
“Little efforts can make highways move more efficiently and reduce the number of days with delay,” Hamilton said. “We’re always looking for improvements in systems.”
The Port of Portland, the Portland Business Alliance, Metro, and other shipping companies will be releasing a report in early January 2015, outlining the impact congestion has on the economy and the environment.
Interactive Graph:
From the Brookings Instutite article "Mapping Freight: The Highly Concentrated Nature of Goods Trade in the United States" by Adie Tomer and Joseph Kan
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