Port Bureau: Houston Ship Channel saw more than 228,000 vessel movements last year; security district asks council for corridor designation

Captain Eric Carrero, president of the Greater Houston Port Bureau and a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, briefed the Safety Committee on the scale and security work of the Houston Ship Channel region.

Carrero said the Ship Channel’s length and navigational practices allow two-way traffic for ships up to about 1,100 feet, and he reported last year’s vessel movements in the region as “over 228,000.” He described Port Houston’s planned infrastructure investments to handle larger vessels and said Project 11 will expand channel dimensions to accommodate bigger ships and raise cargo-per-vessel capacity.

“Last year, we had over 228,000 vessel movements in our ports,” Carrero said, adding that larger ships will reduce the number of vessel movements while increasing container throughput per ship. He said Port Houston plans roughly $2,000,000,000 in investment over the next five years to adapt terminals for larger vessels.

Carrero framed the Ship Channel as a major regional economic artery and discussed past disruptions. He recalled that reopening the channel after Hurricane Harvey took five days and said the economic cost of such a closure is substantial; the transcript record of the exact per-day dollar figure was unclear.

Gary Scribe, chairman of the Houston Ship Channel Security District, described the district as an 18-year private-sector assessment district that has provided funding for local response partners. He said the district has ‘taxed ourselves’ over time and that total assessments have been about $50,000,000 historically; he said the district assessed around $3,000,000 this year and that money supports cameras, training and grants matching for agencies such as Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department and Harris County aviation and marine units.

Scribe asked the council to consider a resolution designating the Ship Channel corridor as a homeland-security infrastructure cluster, saying that similar designations for the medical center helped attract additional funding and that a city designation would improve regional coordination and access to dollars for infrastructure and security enhancements.

Council members asked follow-up questions about whether the city needed to make the corridor designation (Scribe and Carrero said it would be beneficial), how businesses are assessed (Scribe described a formula based on waterfront/MTSA status, acreage, square footage and on-site personnel), and whether port-related truck volumes and congestion would increase with larger ships (Carrero said truck traffic is expected to rise and that Port Houston and the Texas Department of Transportation are coordinating infrastructure investments). Presenters offered to supply more detailed truck, congestion and environmental-impact data.

No formal action was taken. Presenters offered follow-up materials and the committee moved to public speakers before adjourning.