Freight villages. This country’s maritime and transportation journals almost never mention them, and that’s because the very thought of the concept is anathema. They’re not even on a back-burner. An ultra-efficient transportation nexus of this sort is an absolute impossibility in our major ports, where it would really count, because port authorities are obsessed with the status quo … the same primitive method of container handling that will see a 50th anniversary this coming April 26th.

Thanks to Roberta Weisbrod, however, and the fact that Europeans are making hay with these staging facilities, freight villages will now be on the front burner here in the U.S. Take it to the bank.

Port and terminal operators have painted themselves into a corner because of their lack of foresight and their conviction that the public trough will always be there at feeding time. But not for long.

As Roberta has said: “Global freight villages benefit freight businesses and communities alike — they enable trade and relieve congestion, provide jobs in urban areas, restore lands to the tax roles, and provide improved freight efficiency and security …

“Freight villages are often located where cheap land is available or where low employment is an issue, and most city platforms are massively subsidized so when public funds are withdrawn, the platforms disintegrate …

“Freight villages designed by well-known architects have provided an esthetic benefit to the public as well.”

The following benefits, cited above and provided by freight villages:
• “… they enable trade and relieve congestion …”
• “… restore land to the tax roles …”
• “… provide improved freight efficiency and security …”
• “… are often located where cheap land is available …”
• “… designed by well-known architects …”
• … and provide “an esthetic benefit to the public as well.”
… can never be provided by U.S. port operators. On the contrary, with respect to U.S. ports , “ … city platforms are massively subsidized so when public funds are withdrawn, the platforms disintegrate.”

When U.S. ports adopt our patented systems, however, each of the above freight village benefits will accrue to the public and to the transportation supply chain. First and foremost, thousands of acres of misused waterfront property will be made available for other, more practical uses … as we’ve stated so often in these commentaries. Everything flows from there. The freight dilemma will be a thing of the past, pollution and congestion will be reduced, communities will benefit from the consequent growth of trade, and taxpayers will finally get the standard of living that has been their due for so many years.