Port of Oakland bets on big changes to steer global commerce to Bay Area

By Lisa M. Krieger

OAKLAND -- Today, a massive container ship holding millions of dollars' worth of cargo is headed from Asia to California.

But it isn't taking the shortest and most logical trip to the Bay Area. Instead, it will veer south to a berth in Long Beach or Los Angeles.

The Port of Oakland wants to reroute that trip, and is battling powerful rivals in a competition for precious goods. Its leaders have rolled the dice on a bold, $1.2 billion solution: turn the old Oakland Army Base into an ultra-efficient port that links ships directly to trains, reducing truck traffic, expanding the port's cargo business and securing the Bay Area's role in the 21st-century global shipping economy. 

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