Homework Responses Wk 5 & 1

Good day, Professor and Class;

 

           For our first discussion, the first part of the discussion is to explain the key elements of the GTS, including the methods, intermodal connection, and impact. According to the lesson, the Global Transportation System contains air transportation which transports air cargo, land transportation, rail transportation, and Maritime Transportation (MTS). The MTS includes many elements such as 25,000 miles of navigable channels, 250 locks, 3500 marine terminals, thousands of recreational marines, and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway (DOT, 2021). The MTS focuses mainly on transporting freight because of the cost and effectiveness to move a large amount of freight for long-distances. The advancement in mineral and energy trades enriched the maritime transportation mode. The comparative advantage had a role to play in the growth of maritime transportation and add to that the technology improvement in the cargo ships engines and terminals. The MTS has the ability to connect countries and nations from different continents due to the intermodal connections it creates, which are connection points for changes in the mode of transportations (HSDL, 2008). 

Due to the connections seaports create, seaports have both direct and indirect effects on the economy. Seaports contribute to the growth of the job market and also to the growth of the regional products. As stated above, maritime transportation is cost-effective, and it creates activities in the ports (Jugovic, 2021). 

Because maritime transportation transports over 90% of global trade and 99% of the U.S trade, any disruption to maritime transportation would be devastating. The maritime transportation industry is responsible for about 23 million jobs in the U.S (Wendler-Bosco & Nicholson, 20189and creates about $4.5 of revenue directly and indirectly. Any disruption to maritime transportation will have implacable economic and security effects. 

The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 developed port-level security plans and security strategies by conducting inspections on the security plans and increased the security of pots by mandating the use of access cards to ensure only authorized personnel has access. The MTSA also allowed for the screening of vessel crew and vessel escorting and boarding, making the vessel more secure (Gasperetti, 2018). 

 

References 

Department of Transportation. (2021). Maritime Transportation System (MTS). https://www.maritime.dot.gov/outreach/maritime-transportation-system-mts/maritime-transportation-system-mts

Department of Homeland Security. (2008). National Strategy for the Marine Transportation System: A Framework for Action. Department of Homeland Security Digital Library. https://www.hsdl.org

Jugovic, A. (2021). Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. Marine Science and Engineering. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jmse/special_issues/transport_management

Wendler-Bosco, V., & Nicholson, C. (2019). Port disruption impact on the maritime supply chain: a literature review. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, 5(6), 378–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/23789689.2019.1600961

 

 Gasperetti, B. (2018, February 9). Security Since 9/11: Creating the Maritime Transportation Security Act and the ISPS Code - Homeland Security Today. Homeland Security Today. https://www.hstoday.us/uncategorized/security-since-9-11-creating-maritime-transportation-security-act-isps-code/