Seattle, Tacoma Port Commissioners to Hold Second Joint Study Session

Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma commissioners are scheduled to meet at noon on Wednesday, October 8, 2008, to talk about their recent joint trade mission to China as well as progress made in other cooperative efforts.

Regional promotion was one of four areas of shared interest the commissions identified at their first joint study session in April, and staff members will share the results of recent collaborative efforts. The two agencies have identified common transportation infrastructure priorities, and will present a list of those projects at the public meeting. Other topics to be discussed include security and the environment. Wednesday’s meeting provides an opportunity for staff to update both commissions on progress made within each of those areas. Find the full meeting agenda here.

Members of the public are invited to attend. The meeting will take place from noon to 3:00 p.m. at the Sea-Tac International Airport. Live audio stream from the meeting can be heard here.

About the Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle operates several major facilities in King County, supporting nearly 200,000 jobs in the Puget Sound region and generate more than $12 billion in business revenue and $626 million in state and local taxes annually. Port facilities include the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which served over 31 million passengers in 2007, and a seaport that supports a thriving cruise industry, commercial and recreational marinas, and three container terminals, which handled 1.97 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent container units) in 2007.

About the Port of Tacoma

The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for south Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America, handling more than $36 billion in annual trade and about 1.9 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent container units). The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks.