Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a series of big changes in Los Angeles designed to ease the supply chain gridlock at the ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles.
He says the state will issue temporary permits to let trucks transport more cargo. California will have to fight for its share of the $17 billion included for ports and waterways in the infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed this week, Newsom said about will be a competitive grant process for those funds. “We’re going to have to step up our game,” he said. “We’re going to be front and center. We’re going to be bold.”
Last month Governor Newsom and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a strategic partnership to help facilitate innovative projects and financing opportunities for multi-billion infrastructure improvements in California, including providing up to $5 billion for our ports and supply chain infrastructure.California is home to the two busiest ports in the United States, Los Angeles and Long Beach, that together process more than 40% of the containers arriving on our nation’s shores. Over the last two weeks at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, there has been a 32% decrease of containers that have been sitting on the docks for nine days or more. Government spending at smaller ports throughout the nation has often eclipsed funding at the twin ports, where some 40% of the nation’s imports arrive. Now, port officials have often said, it’s time to reinvest in the major gateway of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
He's also directing the state Department of Motor Vehicles to extend their hours to process more commercial driver's licenses.