AUTHORITIES at the Port of Oakland have welcomed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Goods Movement Action Plan (GMAP) which they hail as a "very significant step in addressing California's transportation infrastructure needs".

Jerry Bridges, executive director of the Port of Oakland, said: "We commend the governor and his staff for their leadership in producing a comprehensive proposal and we applaud their overall goal to invest our state's resources in our major goods movement infrastructure."

The GMAP will help guide the decisions of the California Transportation Commission and the California Air Resources Board as they award funding from the recently passed infrastructure bond, a statement from the port authority said.

"Funding from the bonds will enable the port to finance us to move goods quickly, reliably and safely," said Anthony Batarse, president of the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners.

Several port projects designed to speed the movement of goods in California have been endorsed by the report, including the 7th Street Grade Separation and Outer Harbour Intermodal Terminal at the Oakland seaport, the Martinez Subdivision Rail Improvements, as well as enhancements to the Tehachapi Trade Corridor and the Central Corridor over the Sierra Nevada Range.

These projects are intended to speed up the flow of international trade through Oakland, resulting in reduced congestion and cleaner air.