INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Ports must protect the environment because that directly affects community health and quality of life. That’s part of our role as public stewards.
opportunities within our terminal areas. That allows us to work with our partners to plan future growth. Another priority project for us is the widening of the Port’s turning basins to accommodate larger container vessels. There are two turning basins — one in the estuary and one in the outer har- bor. Technically, we can already receive the largest vessels operating today, but there are operational limitations due to the size of the turning areas. Ships sometimes need additional time or specific tidal conditions to maneuver safely. The project will expand those basins to improve efficiency. The outer harbor project is primar- ily dredging, so it will move faster. The estuary project is more complex because it involves modifying shoreline areas in both Oakland and Alameda before dredging can begin. Both pro- jects have cleared environmental hur- dles, and we’ve secured federal funding to continue design work. PP: What kind of timeline are you looking at? KM: The total project timeframe is expected to be about three years, though the outer harbor basin will likely be completed sooner. PP: I wanted to ask about another interesting initiative I noticed — that of Senate Bill 304 related to public lands. Could you describe how that affects waterfront commercial development? KM: In California, much of the waterfront property is held in the State Tidelands Trust, which has very strict rules about how land can be used. Many of those rules date back more than a century. While they help pro- tect maritime uses, they also limit the types of activities that can take place along the waterfront. The challenge is that the way people use waterfronts today is very different from how they did decades ago. Now, we have more flexibility in certain areas so we can develop amenities that attract
PP: I see that there are long-term modernization plans for the passenger terminals. KM: That’s right. Some of our facilities date back to the early 1960s. We’ve done a lot of cosmetic improve- ments, but eventually you reach a point where full modernization is necessary. The plan identifies where future terminal capacity could be added and how we would build out the airport over time. These projects take years of plan- ning. You have to relocate existing facilities, demolish structures, and secure all the environmental and regu- latory approvals before construction even begins so the timeline can easily extend 10 to 15 years or more. PP: Some industries see environmental regulations as a burden. How do you view them? KM: I see them as both responsibil- ity and opportunity. Ports must protect the environment because that directly
people to the waterfront. For example, some rules historically prevented cer- tain recreational or entertainment activ- ities that are very common today. The new legislation allows us to experiment with new uses and create a more vibrant waterfront environment. It’s a limited program with a time horizon of about 40 years but it gives us the flexibility to meet modern expectations. PP: Let’s shift to the airport side of the business. KM: The Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) is both a passenger and cargo airport with cargo being a major part of our operation. We’re the largest air cargo airport in Northern California. FedEx uses us as their West Coast hub to handle shipments from across Asia with distribution through- out North America. UPS also oper- ates a major facility here. Those two operations alone generate thousands of jobs and help support the airport’s infrastructure.
More evidence of the move to decarbonization: Bryan Brandes, Director of Maritime (second from left), stands with terminal and industry partners to showcase the latest full-electric on-dock equipment.
March 2026 — PACIFIC PORTS — 15
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