7 Summer 2025 Proceedings Safeguarding the MTS Managing Risk in the Nation’s Most Consequential Port by cdR dan mcQuate Prevention Department Head Sector New York U.S. Coast Guard W ith more than 20 million residents and about 64 million annual visitors, New York City is in many ways the nation’s center of gravity and, in some ways, the world’s. And, considering that 90% of the goods Americans use daily are transported via sea,1 New York Harbor serves as a crucial conduit for trade. Yet, despite its importance, the harbor’s role as the region’s lifeblood often goes unnoticed by those outside of the maritime industry. In 2023, an estimated $300 billion of waterborne cargo was imported or exported from the region2,3 and more than 40 million passengers were carried4 on more than 800,000 commercial vessel transits, according to Coast Guard figures. With estimates of up to one-third of the nation’s gross domestic product located within 250 miles of New York Harbor,5 this traffic is not just a reflection of New York’s economic force, but also its central role in the broader U.S. economy. Surrounded by the nation’s larg- est city and a global financial and tourism capital, Sector New York refers to New York Harbor as the “Nation’s Most Consequential Port.” The harbor has hosted a robust maritime indus- try since before our nation’s founding and each gen- eration since has witnessed an ever-evolving Marine Transportation System (MTS). Today, that MTS contin- ues to grow in size and complexity. The daunting task of ensuring the safety, security, and environmental protec- tion of these waters, as well as those up to 200 miles off- shore and up the Hudson River past Albany, New York, falls upon the captain of the port of Coast Guard Sector New York. While the captain of the port is assigned that responsibility by law and regulation, that individual and accompanying team cannot do it alone. Projects Clear Path for Larger Ships A harbor-deepening project was completed in 20166 and a project to raise the navigation clearance of the Bayonne Bridge between New Jersey and New York by 64 feet to allow Super Ultra Large Container Vessels (SULCV) to transit the port concluded in 2017.7 Almost overnight, after completion of these projects, the first SULCV, up to 1,300 feet long and carrying up to 18,000 20-foot The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt, a 1,200-foot container ship, passes under the Bayonne Bridge between New York and New Jersey on its maiden voyage to the United States on September 7, 2017. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sabrina Clarke
