The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) has completed its biennial update of the “Federal Funding Handbook for Marine Transportation System Infrastructure,” one of the most downloaded items on the CMTS website. This is the fourth iteration of the Handbook since it was first produced in 2013.
From June 16-18, 2020, the CMTS and the Transportation Research Board will host the 6th biennial conference in Washington, DC to showcase current and emerging innovative science and technologies related to maritime transportation.
The CMTS is pleased to release the final report, “A Ten-Year Projection of Maritime Activity in the U.S. Arctic Region, 2020–2030.” The report details how future natural resource activities, commercial shipping, infrastructure development, oceanographic research, tourism, and ship construction may influence vessel traffic in the region over the next ten years.
Webinar: Development of Spatial Data Infrastructures for Marine Data Management
We are pleased to present the Actions and Accomplishments of the CMTS during the Chairmanship of MG Scott A. Spellmon, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
On August 1, 2019, Chairmanship of the CMTS Coordinating Board rotated from the U.S. Department of Defense to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross designated Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (U.S. Navy ret.), Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as the Chairman on behalf of DOC and NOAA. RDML Gallaudet will Chair the CMTS Coordinating Board from August 1, 2019 through July 31, 2020 and follows a year of leadership by MG Scott Spellmon, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The CMTS compendium of Marine Transportation System-Related Federal Advisory Committees (FAC) has been updated from the August 2018 version. A FAC is a committee, board, or council that can advise or give recommendations, providing a range of opinions that are accessible to the public.
Please join the CMTS for a briefing on “Lessons from the 2017 Hurricane Season: Designing Maritime Resilience.” The unprecedented scale of the 2017 hurricane season strained the U.S. Emergency Response Community and the ability of marine transportation system agencies to prioritize recovery efforts.
On Friday, May 17, the CMTS and Wilson Center Polar Institute held a moderated panel discussion on Infrastructure in the Arctic, centered around the Infrastructure Week theme of "Building for Tomorrow." We were joined by a distinguished set of panelists including
On Monday, March 4, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 13860 on Supporting the Transition of Active Duty Service Members and Military Veterans into the Merchant Marine. This EO brings attention to the vital importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine for national security, safety, and prosperity...
The U.S. Arctic's extreme operating environment poses unique challenges to land and coastal-based infrastructure development. Please join the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) and the Wilson Center Polar Institute for a conversation on these challenges and how they affect projections of future maritime traffic, existing development activities, and the emerging vision of the Alaska of tomorrow.
The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) is pleased to announce the release of its summary of the fifth biennial marine transportation system research and development conference, Transforming the Marine Transportation System Through Multimodal Freight Analytics
The CMTS is pleased to share the newly released report on Enhancing the Accessibility and Usability of Automatic Identification System (AIS) Data: Across the Federal Government and for the Benefit of Public Stakeholders.
The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) has just issued the report, 2017 Hurricane Season: Recommendations for a Resilient Path Forward for the Marine Transportation System.
Last month, the CMTS and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, with support from the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, hosted the technical workshop, "Arctic Shipping: Boom, Bust, or Baseline?" Over the course of this two-day workshop, 35 participants from the Federal family, academia, industry, other Arctic Nations, and Tribal interests discussed the future of vessel activity in U.S. Arctic waters. This workshop and the information gleaned from it are critical first steps to updating forecasts of vessel activity in U.S. Arctic waters, which the CMTS's Arctic Marine Transportation Integrated Action Team will complete in 2019.
We are pleased to release the Arctic Marine Transportation Integrated Action Team (IAT)'s update to their 2016 report, A Ten-Year Prioritization of Infrastructure Needs in the U.S. Arctic. This new report, Revisiting Near-Term Recommendations to Prioritize Infrastructure Needs in the U.S. Arctic, reviews the twenty-five near-term recommendations to enhance the Arctic marine transportation system (MTS) included in the 2016 report.
This Veteran's Day, and every day, we honor the many brave women and men who serve or have served in our U.S. uniformed services. But as we pause to honor those in our armed forces, we are also reminded of how we can continue to support those who have risked their lives to protect our great nation!
The CMTS and the Wilson Center Polar Initiative hosted the Ocean Policy Roundtable, "What's Maritime Transportation Got to Do with It?" on Wednesday, September 26 at the Wilson Center. Nearly 75 participants from Federal government, academia, industry, and regional stakeholders joined us for a roundtable discussion on how marine transportation intersects ocean policy.
We are pleased to present the Actions and Accomplishments of the CMTS during the Chairmanship of RADM Mark H. Buzby, Maritime Administrator. RADM Buzby served as Chair of the CMTS Coordinating Board from August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018.
Please join the CMTS and the Wilson Center Polar Initiative on Wednesday, September 26, 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. for a conversation about the intersection of marine transportation and ocean policy: "Ocean Policy Roundtable: What’s Marine Transportation Got to Do with It?"
Please join the CMTS on Monday, July 30, 2:30-4:00 p.m. EDT for a CMTS Speaker Series event presented by Rob Schweinfurth, Sarah Froman, Meg Patulski, and Daniel Bizer-Cox from U.S. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
The CMTS Industry Outreach Workshop was held on Monday, June 11 at the U.S. Department of Transportation and was attended by nearly 70 marine transportation system (MTS) stakeholders and partners. Eleven Federal partners shared their vision of maritime infrastructure from Administration priorities to ongoing Agency actions.
Please join the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) and its Marine Transportation System (MTS) Federal partners as they share their vision on maritime infrastructure. Infrastructure in this context addresses not only physical infrastructure, but also informational infrastructure (such as aids to navigation, nautical charts, and real-time meteorological and oceanographic services) and mariner needs.
Please join the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) during National Infrastructure Week 2018 for a discussion on port infrastructure resilience and lessons learned from the dramatic 2017 hurricane season. This discussion provides the opportunity to learn from Federal MTS agencies and stakeholders, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection, and the American Association of Port Authorities.
Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao transmitted the completed “Maritime Transportation Extreme Weather Task Force: A Report to Congress” to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in April 2018.
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new website and new branding for the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System.
Please join us at the U.S. Department of Transportation on April 20, 2018 at 10 a.m. EDT for a presentation by Dr. Ed Kearns, NOAA's first ever Chief Data Officer. Dr. Kearns currently leads NOAA's Big Data Project, which aims to expand the use of NOAA's rich datasets through Cloud platforms and partnerships with the private sector.
The CMTS is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, March 14 from 1:00 – 2:30 PM EST with Mr. Mark Toal, National Veterans’ Employment Outreach Manager at the U.S. Department of Labor. The webinar will address Federal, State, and local resources that can assist employers to find, hire, and train veterans in the maritime transportation industry. Click here to download the flyer.
The CMTS is hosting a webinar on Monday, March 12 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM EST with Captain Kirsten Martin, Commanding Officer of the National Maritime Center (NMC), and Dr. Laura Torres-Reyes, Medical Evaluations Division Chief at the NMC. The webinar will address the upcoming changes in the merchant mariner medical certification and provide an opportunity for Q&A Captain Martin and Dr. Torres-Reyes on the medical certification. The medical certification is one component of applying for a merchant mariner credential. Click here to download the flyer.
The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) is pleased to issue the National Strategy for the Marine Transportation System: Channeling the Maritime Advantage. This Strategy was signed by Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao on October 17, 2017, to provide strategic guidance to the Federal interagency partnership under five priority areas...
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is hosting a webinar on Monday, September 18, at 2:00 pm EDT. Join us for the first look at the new and improved CMTS Federal Funding Handbook for Marine Transportation System Infrastructure, presented by Catherine Simons, Senior Infrastructure Advisor to the CMTS. Advance registration is required for this webinar
This updated and enhanced Handbook includes 80+ authorized Federal multimodal transportation infrastructure funding, financing, and technical assistance programs for infrastructure projects in the MTS. Please forward any questions or comments regarding the report to the CMTS at info@cmts.gov or (202) 366-3612
The CMTS Coordinating Board released the update to the Strategic Action Plan for Research and Development in the Marine Transportation System, June 2017. This strategic action plan for research and development (R&D) identifies priority needs and next steps to address U.S. Marine Transportation System (MTS) improvements to meet the most pressing needs of users and operators. The plan was forwarded to Transportation Secretary and CMTS Chair Elaine L. Chao on July 12, 2017, by Coordinating Board Chair Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy.
On May 19, 2017, the CMTS and the Water Infrastructure Working Group hosted an engaging interagency discussion on the state of water-related infrastructure. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency participated.
This event was held in conjunction with Infrastructure Week 2017—a national week of events, media coverage, and education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. A recording of the event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/kec1M0iXTJ0On May 16, 2017, the CMTS hosted "TED-like" talks on Infrastructure, Safety, and Innovation to discuss physical and technological infrastructure related to the Marine Transportation System (MTS). This event was held in conjunction with National Infrastructure Week 2017—a national week of events, media coverage, and education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. A recording of this event is available at https://www.youtube.com/embed/gWAfEm1kx5o.
The FAST Act Addendum highlights the Department of Transportation's FASTLANE program, which provides dedicated, discretionary funding for projects that address critical freight issues facing our Nation's highways, bridges, railroads, and intermodal infrastructure and establishes broad, multiyear eligibilities for freight infrastructure. Please forward any questions or comments regarding the report to the CMTS at CMTS@dot.gov or (202) 366-3612.
The Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory of the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center has released a new technical report on performance measures for the marine transportation system (MTS). The report, Marine Transportation System Performance Measures Research, highlights existing data and measures in the areas of economics, capacity and reliability, safety and security, environmental stewardship, and resilience. An Executive Summary is available online.
The CMTS report "Recommendations and Criteria for Using Federal Public-Private Partnerships to Support Critical U.S. Arctic Maritime Infrastructure" puts forward 19 recommendations for the implementation of public-private partnerships (P3s) in developing, improving, and maintaining infrastructure in support of Federal maritime activities, national security, navigation safety, and stewardship of natural resources in the U.S. Arctic.
The CMTS Maritime Data IAT, in conjunction with the Data.gov program office, is proud to announce the launch of the Maritime Topic on Data.gov. The Maritime Topic provides the Federal maritime community with a central location to archive and share datasets related to marine transportation. It includes an inventory of publicly available maritime datasets that are accessible through Data.gov as well as blog posts that allow agencies to highlight recent developments in the maritime data community.
The CMTS collaborated with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to hold its fourth biennial research and development conference, "From Sail to Satellite: Delivering Solutions for Tomorrow's Marine Transportation System," at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, on June 21-23, 2016. The forum examined emerging and innovative technologies and practices in marine transportation and waterways management.
We are pleased to provide the CMTS Annual Report for July 2015 through June 2016 under the Coordinating Board leadership of VADM Manson K. Brown, USCG (Ret.) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Infrastructure Week (May 16-23, 2016) is a collaborative effort by businesses, civic groups, organizations, and other infrastructure stakeholders to bring awareness to the importance of infrastructure in our nation. Through events, advocacy, webinars, and social media taking place around the country, participants will bring attention to infrastructure. Infrastructure Week is the largest, most diverse, non-partisan coalition of organizations dedicated to strengthening America by rebuilding our infrastructure. See how you can be involved at http://infrastructureweek.org.
There are numerous interpretations and applications of the term "resilience" as it relates to the Marine Transportation System (MTS) and to the individual Federal agencies working with the MTS. The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) MTS Resilience Integrated Action Team (Resilience IAT) reviewed the range of factors impacting MTS resilience. A summary report, U.S. Federal Activities Analyzing Marine Transportation System Resilience, identifies and categorizes MTS resilience factors and pinpoints the priority environmental and non-environmental resilience factors for Resilience IAT member agencies.
We are pleased to provide the CMTS Annual Report for July 2014 through June 2015. Under the Coordinating Board leadership of Major General John Peabody, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations for the US Army Corps of Engineers, the CMTS completed the first of three reports in support of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, "10-Year Projection of Maritime Activity in the U.S. Arctic"; and it established two new interagency teams—the Maritime Data Integrated Action Team and the MTS Resilience Integrated Action Team. The CMTS continues to make great strides to support an active interagency partnership to support the MTS.
The CMTS 10th Anniversary Roundtable: Reflecting Forward, held on Friday, November 20, 2015, at the Department of Transportation Headquarters, was attended by nearly 80 marine transportation system (MTS) partners and stakeholders. Two panels of past and present leaders of the CMTS discussed the Committee's origins, its accomplishments over the past 10 years, and the future needs of the MTS. They also kicked off enhanced stakeholder engagement under the 2015-2016 CMTS work plan.
The CMTS was tasked by DOT Secretary Foxx to complete three tasks in the National Strategy on the Arctic Region Implementation Plan under Line of Effort 1. As part of the response to task three (1.1.3), the CMTS is hosting a webinar and conference call on Wednesday, November 18, 2015, 4:00-5:30 pm (EST), to learn of existing or planned infrastructure public-private partnerships (P3) related to the marine transportation system and to receive recommendations and ideas regarding the use of P3s. CMTS Webinar: Public-Private Partnerships and the Federal Arctic MTS
The Compendium of Public-Private-Partnership (P3) Authorities for Infrastructure Investment, developed by Mr. Mike Smitsky of the MARAD Office of Counsel on behalf of the CMTS, is a collection of the statutory citations and language for P3 investments within eight Federal Departments. The compendium addresses some of the commonalities and differences among the various authorities and highlights some of the foundational information for developing an understanding of how the US Federal Government enters into various types of P3 relationships.
In May 2015, several representatives of the CMTS Coordinating Board met with the DC-based Cotton Club to share lessons learned and best practices for implementing public-private partnerships for infrastructure, particularly for MTS-related investments. The Cotton Club is a chartered organization comprised of the transportation and trade attachés from the embassies in Washington, DC, particularly from Western Europe and Asia. For additional information, contact Ms. Pat Mutschler at pat.mutschler@cmts.gov. View the Cotton Club Public-Private Partnership Roundtable Proceedings
The US Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS), in conjunction with the White House Build America Initiative, has developed a Handbook of Federal Funding Sources for Marine Transportation System (MTS)-Related Investments.
The CMTS has released the Marine Transportation System (MTS) Performance Measures 2015 Executive Summary, which summarizes an initial group of MTS performance measures developed from publicly available data sources and presented together for the first time. Each performance measure is accompanied by a graphic showing historical change or current status of the measure. The categories included are economic benefits, capacity and reliability, safety and security, environmental stewardship, and resilience. An interpretation of the measures in category is provided at the end of each section.
The Sub-Cabinet CMTS Coordinating Board provides high-level policy and work plan guidance. At the Board's June 23, 2015, meeting, Board chair Major General John Peabody, US Army Corps of Engineers, turned over the gavel to the Department of Commerce after reporting on the achievements of the CMTS during his term. Among many activities, the CMTS completed the "Ten-Year Projection of Maritime Activity in the US Arctic" report to the White House, proof-of-concept for a joint Notice to Mariners, a summary report on MTS performance measures, establishment of a maritime data team and an MTS resilience team, and an update of the Federal MTS Funding Handbook. An annual report for the 2014-15 term will be issued at the next Coordinating Board meeting. For more information on the CMTS Coordinating Board, contact Helen.Brohl@cmts.gov.
On June 4, 2015, the CMTS hosted a Speaker Series on the Build America Transportation Investment Center (BATIC). The BATIC is a one-stop shop for state and local governments, public and private developers, and investors seeking to utilize innovative financing and public-private partnerships to deliver transportation projects.
The CMTS held a second Military to Mariner Federal Workshop on April 24, 2015, at DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Workshop participants included senior officials from the Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Maritime Administration, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Navy.
A summary of CMTS efforts in support of Arctic policy development was included in the Obama Administration report highlighting progress made by the Federal government in the Arctic during 2014.
The CMTS has issued the summary report of the biennial Marine Transportation System (MTS) research conference, Innovative Technologies for a Resilient Marine Transportation System, held with the Transportation Research Board on June 24-26, 2014.
Over 60 participants joined the CMTS webinar Federal Arctic MTS Activities Update. Presentations were provided by Mr. Eric Cooper, Director, Arctic Region Policy, National Security Council, White House, regarding the recent Presidential Executive Order on the Arctic; CAPT John Mauger, Chief, Office of Design and Engineering Standards, USCG, regarding the IMO Polar Code; and Dr. Alyson Azzara, ICCT, and Mr. Gary Magnuson, CMTS, regarding the CMTS Ten-Year Projection of Maritime Activity in the US Arctic. View the presentations by CAPT Mauger and the CMTS by clicking the links below.
CMTS has completed the report, "A 10-Year Projection of Maritime Activity in the U.S. Arctic Region," which provides estimates of vessel traffic (numbers of vessels and transits) based on modeling of current vessel activity patterns, growth potential, and vessel projection scenarios, including diversion from other routes, and oil and gas development. The report also completes the first milestone of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR) 2014 Implementation Plan, which is intended to guide Federal activities related to the construction, maintenance, and improvement of marine transportation Arctic infrastructure.
The CMTS Maritime Energy Task Team (METT) was established in December 2013 as an interagency forum for exchanging information and offering opportunities for interagency collaboration to examine a number of promising fuel efficiency measures and technologies and to address the challenges of retrofitting and the availability of fuel infrastructure.
Thursday, October 23, 2014, proved to be a very educational morning at the US Committee for the Marine Transportation System (CMTS). We had the honor of hearing Dr. Julie Rosati speak on "MTS Resilience: What is Resilience and How to Put it into Practice."
This report represents the accomplishments of the CMTS under the Chairmanship of the USCG. 2013-2014 CMTS Annual Report
The Coordinating Board of the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System adopted the International Hydrographic Organization's S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model as its preferred data framework for the dissemination and exchange of digital marine safety information and related MTS data collection requirements. Resolution on the adoption of the S-100 Marine Data Framework
The U.S. Coast Guard has published its "Future of Navigation/21st Century Waterways—Listening Session Feedback" survey, and it is now available for input.
Mr. Dave Murk, past chair of the CMTS Coordinating Board, issued the summary report for his term: July 2012-June 2013.
CMTS U.S. Arctic Marine Transportation System Report Submitted by CMTS Chair Foxx to President Obama.
CMTS Publishes Compendium of Federal Programs in the Marine Transportation System
On December 20, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. No. 112-213). With this action, the CMTS is officially recognized by Congress and is authorized in law, giving our interagency Partnership new authority, new responsibilities, and new opportunities