BACKBONE.
THE PEOPLE WHO FILET TONIGHT’S DINNER, OFFLOAD THAT NEW TV YOU ORDERED, THEY LIVE IN THE REAL SEAPORT.
BOSTON’S LIGHT, AMERICA’S FIRST WHITE LIGHTHOUSE -- AMERICA’S FIRST LIGHTHOUSE.
IT WAS A TIME WHEN THE WATER BROUGHT VITAL GOODS AND SERVICES TO THE CITY.
WHEN YOU THINK OF SEAPORT TODAY, THE IMAGE OF A CITY ON THE RISE WITH HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND CONDOS COMES TO MIND, BUT THIS GROWING THE HOOD SHARES ITS NEWFOUND FAME WITH A LONG
HISTORY THAT STILL THRIVES TODAY , IN INDUSTRIES SUCH AS SEAFOOD PROCESSING, CARGO, AND TOURISM.
THIS IS THE REAL SEAPORT.
♪ THIS HEAD TURNER, MSC MERAVIGLIA , RECENTLY CALLED ON BOSTON DURING ITS I’M NOT-YEAR-OLD NORTH AMERICAN VOYAGE -- DURING ITS INAUGURAL NORTH AMERICAN
VOYAGE.
THE GROWTH IS WHAT MASSPORT’S CEO LISA WHEELER SAYS IS PART OF A GRANTOR SCHEMA.
>> WE DECIDED T MAKE THE PORTS MORE COMPETITIVE.
>> MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE MASSPORT WITH LOCAL AIRPORT, BUT IT ALSO OWNS AND OPERATES THE FLYNN INCREASE PORT AND CALMLY CONTAINER TURNED THEM ALL.
INCREASING -- CONTAINER TERMINAL.
INCREASING TRAFFIC TO THE SEAPORT GETS GOODS IN AND OUT IN RECORD TIME.
>> CONLEY IS HOW MORE THAN 2500 BUSINESSES ACROSS NEW ENGLAND CONNECT TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, WITH NINE OF 10 OF THE LARGEST GLOBAL SHIPPING COMPANIES COMING TO THE BOARD EVERY WEEK WITH
SERVICE COMING FROM ASIA, NORTH EUROPE, AND MAKING A RUN DOWN TO SOUTH AMERICA.
IN 2016, THE PANAMA CANAL EXPANDED, AND IMMEDIATELY WE SAW AN UPSIZE IN SHIPS CALLING THE PORT OF BOSTON HOME.
WE NEED DEEPER CRANES TO WORK THOSE SHIPS EFFICIENTLY.
>> THE SITE OF CRUISE SHIP’S IS WELCOME, SAYS THE CEO OF THE BOSTON VISITORS BUREAU.
>> THE BETTER THE CRUISE PORT IS, THE BETTER IT IS FOR BOSTON AND ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE SPENT IN OUR ECONOMY AS A RESULT OF THE 400,000 CRUISE PASSENGERS THAT COME THROUGH OUR CITY EVERY YEAR.
THEY CAN COME HERE EVEN WHEN OUR HOTELS ARE FILLED AND DROP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE INTO THE CITY OF BOSTON.
IT REPRESENTS THE ICING ON THE CAKE, SO TO SPEAK.
>> COLORFUL, ELEGANT CRUISE SHIPS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
LESS ELEGANT ARE THOSE THAT TRANSPORT CARGO.
PICTURE THIS THE NEXT TIME YOU CHECK THE BOX FOR EXPRESS DELIVERY.
>> EVERYTHING YOU USE TODAY, FROM THE FURNITURE IN OUR HOMES TO THE SHOES ON OUR FEET, COMES HERE IN A CONTAINER.
THESE MARITIME FACILITIES DRIVE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT, $8.2 BILLION ANNUALLY, SUPPORT 9000 DIRECT JOBS, MANY OF THEM WELL-PAYING BLUE-COLLAR JOBS THAT SUPPORT FAMILIES.
>> ONE OF THOSE JOBS BELONGS TO LONGSHOREMAN KATIE SWALES, A CRANE OPERATOR.
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY UP, TWO LADDERS AND THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS.
>> BY THE SECOND LADDER, YOU ARE OUT OF BREATH, EVERY TIME, NO MATTER WHAT.
IT NEVER STOPS.
THIS IS CALLED TO RALLYING, WHEN YOU GO BACK AND FORTH -- TROLLEYING, WHEN YOU GO BACK AND FORTH OVER THE PILE.
SWALES HAS DONE NEARLY EVERY JOB HERE.
>> MY GRANDFATHER AND MY FATHER WERE BOTH LONGSHOREMEN, AND I CAME DOWN HERE DURING COLLEGE AS A PART-TIME JOB.
IT WAS A GREAT JOB FOR ME, SO I STUCK WITH IT.
>> THEN, SHE WAS ONLY THE SECOND WOMAN.
TODAY IT IS UP TO 40.
>> THE WOMAN BEFORE ME DEFINITELY PAVED THE WAY.
IT WAS LIKE AN IDEA TO COME DOWN AND TRY IT, AND WHEN YOU SAW SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT, YOU ARE LIKE, I CAN DO THIS.
>> TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY MAKES THE WORK SAFER AND MORE EFFICIENT.
>> IT’S LIKE A VIDEOGAME.
MY GENERATION HAS PICKED UP ON IT VERY QUICKLY.
YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT HOW YOU GET YOUR GOODS, BUT IT TOOK SEVEN PEOPLE TO GET IT TO YOU.
I CALL IT MY CUBICLE, BUT IT’S A DIFFERENT KIND OF CUBICLE.
SHAYNA: MASSPORT JUST ADDED A NUMBER OF TRAINS AT CONLEY TERMINAL, ALL IN AN EFFORT TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE AND EFFICIENT.
ANTHONY: THEY ARE EXCITING TO BE MUCH BUSIER GOING FORWARD.
BY 21, THE DREDGING PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETE, ALLOWING FOR EVEN BIGGER SHIPS TO COME INTO BOSTON.
A LOT NEEDED GOING FOR