Page 22: of Marine News Magazine (March 2019)

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COLUMN INSIGHTS the Inland Waterways Trust Fund paid for by the tax that has meant effciency gains for operators and shippers, and to commercial operators pay ($0.29 cents/per gallon of diesel those who await delivery of the product. Feeding the world fuel consumed during operations)/50% Federal Treasury is a tough job, but effcient, modern infrastructure allows funding to 85% IWTF/15% Federal funds that occurred in commercial transporters and American family farmers and the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA), other shippers to meet their obligations in a timelier way.

Olmsted was completed four years ahead of schedule and

Yours is a PA-based frm, and you are familiar with $330 million under the post-authorization change budget. the Port of Pittsburgh’s ‘wireless waterway.’ While that

Benefts of $600 million/year were also realized four years didn’t work out as well as had been hoped, what’s the earlier than anticipated. WCI’s key goal is to advocate for current SITREP with regard to tug and barge outfts full and effcient funding of the Corps’ Civil Works mis- trying to secure reliable and robust bandwidth and sion which maintains the inland waterways system. We can broadband? That’s become so much more important achieve more Olmsted success stories with this full funding, with subchapter M and the advent of software-based as we have been receiving the last several fscal years, but we

SMS on the inland waters, hasn’t it?

should also consider a similar cost-share change ahead for all

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission was unable to f- the priority projects to complete their construction and have nancially sustain the Wireless Waterway system as it was them delivering national benefts faster. proposed. The PPC is, however, aware of the importance and the need for reliable and full-coverage broadband for

Regarding Olmsted – something that has been de- the users of the inland waterway system. The Port is cur- scribed as the ‘Manhattan Project’ of the inland wa- rently examining federal and state programs for grants and terways – are you seeing effciency gains from the other funding opportunities that will bring about improve- completion of that project, as yet?

ments in wireless networks and electronic communication

Absolutely. To go from often days of delay locking through

Locks 52 and 53 to the now state of the art Olmsted lock along the waterways.

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