CALMITSAC

Southern California MTS Advisory Council

Acting as a regional advisory panel to the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC - in Washington, DC), and to the California Marine and Intermodal Transportation System Advisory Council (CALMITSAC - in Sacramento), the SOCAL-MTSAC is focused on the ports and waterways in Southern California (including the Ports of Hueneme, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego) -- and also on the vital infrastructure and intermodal connections (including highways, railroads, bridges, marine terminals, communications links, transportation equipment, etc.) that allow people and goods to move to and from our ports.

Background/History

SOCAL-MTSAC was the first MTS regional advisory group formed in California (July, 2001). It was also a "Charter Member" in the formation of the CALMITSAC oversight group in October of 2001; and it helped to "jump-start" the NORCAL-MTSAC panel in San Francisco in the fall of 2001. SOCAL-MTSAC produced the first reports on MTS initiatives in California -- including addressing the ports' infrastructure needs, the communities' environmental concerns, competitivness and efficiency of our ports, and port/terminal/vessel security procedures and policies following the tragic events of 9/11/01. Eventually, our infrastructure and security reports were embraced, endorsed, and expanded through a vetting process at NORCAL-MTSAC, CALMITSAC, and the U.S. Coast Guards' Pacific Area Command -- all of which ultimately played a major role in creating language and substance for two significant items: California's MTS Infrastructure Needs Report (published in March of 2003); and the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA -- pased by Congress in the fall of 2003).

The MTS Vision --

"The U. S. Marine Transportation System will be the world's most technologically advanced, safe, secure, efficient, effective, accessible, globally competitive, dynamic and environmentally responsible system for moving goods and people."(as published in the "Report to Congress on America's Marine Transportation System", dated October 1999)