{"id":280226,"date":"2026-04-22T13:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/280226\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:04:10","slug":"why-federal-investment-is-key-to-the-port-of-long-beachs-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/280226\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Federal Investment Is Key to the Port of Long Beach\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n At the Port of Long Beach\u2014one of the nation\u2019s busiest maritime gateways\u2014the stakes of modernizing America\u2019s transportation network are clearly in focus. That reality was on full display at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce\u2019s Keep America Moving Summit<\/a>, where infrastructure leaders, policymakers, and business executives convened to discuss the critical role of reauthorizing and strengthening federal surface transportation programs.\n<\/p>\n

\n Among the Summit\u2019s standout participants was Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach, who discussed the California port\u2019s ambitious vision for the future and emphasized the importance of federal support in achieving it.\n<\/p>\n

\n Dr. Hacegaba described the port\u2019s \u201c2050 Vision,\u201d a comprehensive plan to modernize its facilities, enhance connectivity, and build resilience across the supply chain. This work is essential to its goal of doubling cargo throughout by 2050 and keeping up with demand. The Port of Long Beach has embraced a forward-thinking approach to infrastructure investment and community engagement.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cHaving a vision not only gives us something to look forward to, but it gives us a planning horizon to make investments,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s brought alignment inside our organization, and it\u2019s bringing alignment to all our industry partners.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach (left) discusses the port’s “2050 Vision” at the Keep America Moving Summit in Washington, DC.Investing in the Future<\/p>\n

\n The Port\u2019s long-term strategy will allow it to more than double its capacity. After a record-setting 2025 moving 9.9 million cargo containers with no backlogs or delays, Dr. Hacegaba is preparing to meet annual projections of over 20 million containers by 2050.\n<\/p>\n

\n Central to the Port of Long Beach\u2019s strategy is the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a transformative project that will improve rail connectivity and reduce congestion. Over the next decade, the port plans to invest $3.2 billion in infrastructure improvements, with the Pier B facility as its centerpiece.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cRail is the key to our future,\u201d Dr. Hacegaba said. \u201cWhen I talk about the future and what we need to do to be more competitive and help the nation\u2019s transportation system become more competitive and resilient, speed to market is a key to success, but rail conductivity is the key to our future.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n These investments are not just about improving operations\u2014they are about strengthening the nation\u2019s transportation network as a whole.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe are a system of systems,\u201d Dr. Hacegaba said. \u201cAt the Port of Long Beach, we think outside the docks. It’s important for us to see ourselves as a node in a broader system. Yes, we are a port, but we\u2019re connected to a transportation system across the nation.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Engaging the Community<\/p>\n

\n The Port of Long Beach\u2019s success is also rooted in its strong relationship with the local community.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cOur secret sauce has been our ability to engage our community,\u201d Dr. Hacegaba said. \u201cWhen you manage your community relations well, it gives you a license to grow.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The port invests $3 million annually in local nonprofits and awards nearly half a million dollars in scholarships to students in neighboring communities\u2014 efforts that both strengthen local ties and help develop the workforce of tomorrow.\n<\/p>\n

A Call for Federal Support<\/p>\n

\n While the Port of Long Beach is making significant strides, Dr. Hacegaba stressed the need for federal support to fully realize its vision.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe need Congress to match support for infrastructure with funding,\u201d he said. \u201cInvestments in infrastructure are investments in the national economy.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The port\u2019s modernization efforts align with the broader goals of the Keep America Moving<\/a>initiative, which calls for reauthorizing federal surface transportation programs, modernizing the permitting process, and ensuring long-term funding solutions.\n<\/p>\n

\n As Congress works on the next surface transportation bill, the Port of Long Beach\u2019s story serves as a powerful example of how visionary leadership, strategic investment, and community engagement can transform infrastructure and strengthen the nation\u2019s supply chain. With the right support, the port\u2019s 2050 Vision can become a reality that benefits not just Long Beach, but the entire country.\n<\/p>\n

Read More About the Keep America Moving Summit:About the author\"Nina Brooks<\/p>\n

Nina Brooks is the Associate Manager of Public Affairs and Advocacy at the U.S. Chamber. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At the Port of Long Beach\u2014one of the nation\u2019s busiest maritime gateways\u2014the stakes of modernizing America\u2019s transportation network…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[120669,120673,131,133,132,120672,120668,120670,120671],"class_list":{"0":"post-280226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-articletype-genericarticle","9":"tag-cms-editorial","10":"tag-long-beach","11":"tag-long-beach-headlines","12":"tag-long-beach-news","13":"tag-major-initiative-keep-america-moving","14":"tag-sitegroup-mainchamber","15":"tag-topic-infrastructure","16":"tag-topic-transportation"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}