46 U.S.C. § 50302 — Port development

(a) General Requirements. To promote, encourage, and develop ports and transportation facilities connected to water commerce under the Secretary of Transportation's jurisdiction, the Secretary — working with the Secretary of the Army — must: (1) study the regions and zones that feed into ports, considering how rail, water, and highway transportation costs compare and which way commerce naturally flows; (2) study what causes port congestion and how to fix it; (3) study water terminals — including the docks, warehouses, and equipment needed — to figure out the best designs for different locations, so passengers and freight can move quickly and cheaply between ships and trains; (4) talk with communities about where and how to build wharves, piers, and water terminals; (5) study whether harbor, river, and port improvements would help foreign and coastwise trade; and (6) study anything else that could help vessels use ports well-suited to handle the freight that would naturally pass through them. (b) Submission of Findings to Surface Transportation Board. After such a study, if the Secretary believes a railroad's rates or practices are hurting these goals — or that new rates, practices, port facilities, or railroad action are needed to help them — the Secretary may send findings to the Surface Transportation Board, which can then take whatever action it thinks is appropriate under existing law.