Pa. to pay shippers that boost deliveries to Port of Philadelphia

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced an "incentive program" Tuesday to increase cargoes at the Port of Philadelphia.

Gov. Tom Wolf said that $1 million annually will be committed for five years to encourage ocean carriers to deliver more 20-foot and 40-foot containers filled with cargoes to Philadelphia piers and terminals.

Existing shipping lines and new carriers will receive $25 per container above what they now deliver. PennDot said it would award grants twice a year, starting in the 2015-16 fiscal year starting July 1. The grants will come through PennDot's multimodal transportation fund established by Act 89, a new state transportation funding law.

"Pennsylvania has a robust transportation system and our ports are a vital part of the movement of goods," Wolf said. "The Port of Philadelphia is an important asset . . . these incentives will help increase activity at the port, which will drive commerce across Pennsylvania and could create more than 1,400 good-paying jobs."

Shippers must apply before June 30. The baseline measure will be the amount of containers delivered in the last six months of 2014, PennDot said. Carriers must reapply by June 30 annually.

New carriers after July 1 must apply before Dec. 31.

- Linda Loyd