Port of San Diego - Port of San Diego

Big Bay Shuttle Returns for Summer Service

bmoreno@portofsandiego.org (Tanya Castaneda, (619) 686-6330) — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:56:28 -0700

Getting around the Port of San Diego's Embarcadero is about to get a lot easier. Visitors and residents alike will soon be able to enjoy the convenience of the Big Bay Shuttle service, which is being operated through a partnership with Ace Parking Management.

The shuttle will run on a loop, providing easy access from Downtown San Diego to the attractions along the Embarcadero, and on to Harbor Island.

This will be the first official year of the Big Bay Shuttle, after a limited trial program in 2012. After receiving great response from the trial program, the Board of Port Commissioners decided to seek an operator for a shuttle program.

From Friday, May 24, through Monday, September 2, 2013, the shuttle will service eight locations at a cost of $3 per day per rider:

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina (Harbor Island)
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Wyndham San Diego Bayside
Broadway Pier/Navy Pier
Seaport Village
Manchester Grand Hyatt
San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
Hilton Bayfront San Diego

Hours of operation are:

Sunday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased at each of the stops. The shuttle does not stop at the San Diego International Airport.

The shuttle will run for 14 weeks over the summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. Shuttles are clearly marked, adorned with the Big Bay logo. All of the shuttles will be "green" compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and accessible for people with disabilities.

The shuttle's trial run in 2012 was extremely successful, carrying more than 20,000 visitors and residents from May to September. Riders, as well as Port businesses, expressed their support for and appreciation of the service.

The service meets the California Coastal Commission's recommendations for public access to the waterfront along with public transportation options.

For more information on the shuttle, visit Ace Parking's website.

You can also call (800) 925-PARK or email bigbayshuttle@aceparking.com.

Port Mooring Goes Digital with New Online Service for Boaters

gbatuyon@portofsandiego.org (Tanya Castaneda, (619) 686-6330) — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:00:50 -0700

Boaters visiting San Diego can now reserve a slip even before dropping anchor and setting foot on land. The San Diego Harbor Police Department has launched an online service as a convenience for recreational boaters and visitors to San Diego Bay. Previously, the only ways to request a slip were to initially dock and reserve in-person or to place a call, while availability was first-come, first served.

Boating slip reservations service

The new website allows boaters to see details about all Port-managed anchorages in the bay, check for availability up to two weeks in advance, and pay for a slip reservation using a credit card. Once confirmed, boaters can dock their vessel. For customers who don't have internet access, a self-service reservations kiosk is available at the southwest end of Shelter Island (map). A complete list of San Diego Bay anchorages is available in the Boating Information section of the Port's website.

About the Port:

The Port of San Diego is the fourth largest of the 11 ports in California. It was created by the state legislature in 1962. Since then, it has invested millions of dollars in public improvements in its five member cities – Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego.

The port oversees two maritime cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, 18 public parks, the Harbor Police Department and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.

The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.

Construction Milestone Celebrated On San Diego's North Embarcadero

melicone@portofsandiego.org (Marguerite Elicone) — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:24:12 -0700

In a little more than a year from now, the North Embarcadero area between Navy Pier and the B Street Pier will feature an expansive,105-foot wide public promenade, public gardens, shade pavilions, new landscaping and other amenities when construction on the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Phase I project is completed.

As a visible sign of progress, on Monday, May 20, 2013, traffic lanes were moved approximately 60 feet to the east between Navy and B Street Piers. This will allow construction of the waterfront promenade to begin. Additionally, two pavilions that will house a café, a visitor information center, two ticket kiosks and a public restroom will begin construction.

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The Port of San Diego hosted an event to mark this milestone on Monday, May 20, 2013. The event featured remarks by City of San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, City of San Diego Council President Todd Gloria, City of San Diego Council member Kevin Faulconer, Port of San Diego Vice Chair Bob Nelson and Civic San Diego President Jeff Graham.

"This project is driven by a simple concept: San Diego's waterfront should be for people, not cars," said Council member Kevin Faulconer, Chair of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Joint Powers Authority. "Today we've reached the halfway point on our mission to create a world-class waterfront for San Diegans, visitors and future generations."

A pile of underground cables, pumps, railroad ties and other debris that was unearthed during construction activities was on display at the event.

"This is a complex project," said Bob Nelson, Vice Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners. "This waterfront has been used historically for industrial and commercial purposes. There were old utilities that were discovered that needed to be removed and the contractor had to work with several different entities to ensure they were removed safely."

The event also featured renderings of what the finished project would look like, as well as the artistic glass that will be used in the new pavilion buildings.

The North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Phase I project began construction on January 5, 2012. The project is a collaboration between the Port, the City of San Diego and Civic San Diego.

About the Port:

The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.

Barrio Logan Students Help Name Pacific Tug Vessel

bmoreno@portofsandiego.org (Tanya Castaneda, (619) 686-6330) — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:21:34 -0700

There's a newly-named vessel servicing San Diego Bay and its Working Waterfront, thanks to fourth-grade students from two Barrio Logan-area elementary schools.

"Logan" was unveiled as the grand-prize winning name in the Pacific Tugboat Service "Name that Tug" contest, held at Cesar Chavez Park on Friday, May 17, 2013.

Seventy-one students from Logan and Perkins Elementary schools participated. Several students submitted "Logan" as the new tug name, as a sign of pride in their neighborhood.

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The "Name that Tug" contest asked students to rename a vessel in the Pacific Tugboat Service Fleet. Pacific Tugboat is a tenant business of the Port of San Diego.

The contest kicked off the Port's Working Waterfront Weekend, which will feature a family picnic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, in Pepper Park and free boat tours on Sunday, May 19.

The "Floating Classroom" and "Name that Tug" contest were launched as part of the Port's 50th Anniversary celebration.

The Floating Classroom was sponsored by Pacific Tugboat Services, with a goal of providing Barrio Logan neighborhood school children the opportunity to learn about the Maritime industry in the San Diego region.

The students were also provided gift bags, courtesy of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) workers, with school supplies, such as notebooks, pencils, stickers and sharpeners. Dole Fresh Fruit Company, the main tenant business at the Port of San Diego's Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, donated bananas to the students.

About Pacific Tugboat Services:
Pacific Tugboat Services vessels include more than 20 tugs that divide time between the San Diego headquarters and offices in the Long Beach-Los Angeles area. Pacific Tugboat Services has several large contracts, including jobs with the Navy, pile driving, and crane services for both land and sea.

As a member of the Port's Green Business Network, Pacific Tug's entire fleet runs on shore power, meaning when it is docked, the ship's onboard diesel power supply is switched to shore-based electrical power. This process reduces polluting air emissions and noise levels from idling engines.

About the Port:
The Port of San Diego is the fourth largest of the 11 ports in California. It was created by the state legislature in 1962. Since then, it has invested millions of dollars in public improvements in its five member cities – Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego.

The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.

Yachts, Project Cargo Among Port of San Diego Specialized Imports

bmoreno@portofsandiego.org (Tanya Castaneda, (619) 686-6330) — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:02:19 -0700

The Port of San Diego may be the fourth largest port in the state of California, but it is number one when it comes to specialty cargo that requires careful handling.

"Break bulk" cargo is a term for specialty cargo that doesn't easily fit into standardized metal containers. One recent offload at the Port's Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal caught the eyes of many spectators from the North Embarcadero to across the bay in Coronado.

Cross Chartering N.V. offloaded project cargo and a yacht during its visit to the Port of San Diego. Its shipment of a transformer & ancillary equipment was destined for an energy project in Imperial Valley.

"This operation went very well considering the timing and difficulty of such an offload and we're very happy about the service from the Port of San Diego," said Christophe Thienpont, Managing Director of Cross Chartering.

Other types of break bulk cargo handled by the Port of San Diego's Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in San Diego and National City Marine Terminal in National City include:

Automobiles
Fertilizer
Containers
Lumber
Steel products
Utility-scale cargo

The Port of San Diego is a main conduit for imports and exports to San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, plus Northern Baja California, Arizona and other points East.

For commercial inquiries, please call us at 619-686-6300, or email us at shipping@portofsandiego.org.

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About the Port:

The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.

Photo Gallery: Port Welcomes Three Cruise Ships on May 7

bmoreno@portofsandiego.org (Tanya Castaneda, (619) 686-6330) — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:57:29 -0700

Three cruise ships, including the longest ever to visit the B Street Pier, called on the Port of San Diego on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

Two of the vessels, the Celebrity Solstice and the Oceania Regatta, made their inaugural visits to the Port of San Diego. At 1,041 feet, the Solstice is the longest cruise ship to call on San Diego. The third ship that visited San Diego was Holland America's Zuiderdam.

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All three ships brought just over 5,400 passengers to the city of San Diego.

San Diego's cruise business benefits the region's economy. Each cruise that begins and ends its voyage in San Diego has an economic impact of $2 million. This amount is attributed to passenger spending, as well as refueling, vessel maintenance and restocking of supplies.

In 2012, 87 cruise ships called on the Port of San Diego. The Port anticipates 77 cruise visits in 2013. This number is significantly lower than in 2008, when the cruise business was at its peak. That year, the Port had 255 cruise calls. The Port anticipates that the cruise business will begin to recover in 2015 or 2016.

About the Port:

The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.

Chula Vista Bayfront Concept Renderings Released

bmoreno@portofsandiego.org (Tanya Castaneda, (619) 686-6330) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:32:17 -0700

As part of its ongoing efforts to secure investment in the future of the Chula Vista Bayfront, the Port of San Diego has released draft conceptual renderings of how the project could ultimately look.

The vivid conceptual renderings are intended to illustrate the planned balance of commercial development, public access and environmental conservation.

The drawings were presented publicly for the first time at the April 23 Chula Vista City Council Meeting by Ann Moore, Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners. Chair Moore was joined for the presentation by the Port's consulting firms: Jones Lang LaSalle and CCI Partners, along with subcontractor HKS Urban Design Studio.

"These conceptual drawings highlight the incredible potential of the Chula Vista Bayfront as a world-class destination," Chair Moore said. "We are making significant progress toward realizing our shared community vision."

The Chula Vista plan is fully entitled, having been approved by the California Coastal Commission in August 2012. It envisions a master-planned destination on 500-plus acres of prime waterfront property: hotels and convention facilities, homes, shops, restaurants and more than 240 acres of parks and nature preserve.

The project is projected to create thousands of jobs (7,000 construction; 2,200 permanent), transform the bayfront, and generate revenue for public services such as police, fire protection and parks.

The Board of Port Commissioners authorized agreements with the consulting firms at its February 2013 board meeting to conduct market and financial analyses, recommend infrastructure financing and cost allocation strategies, and develop a marketing and branding strategy. Also in February, the obsolete South Bay Power Plant was imploded, an important step in readying that portion of the bayfront for redevelopment. Meanwhile, the Port continues its efforts to showcase the project as an investment and development opportunity.

About the Port:

The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.