PierPASS Reports Growing Acceptance of OffPeak Program

PierPASS Inc. announced that more than 2 million truck trips have been diverted from peak daytime traffic since the start of the OffPeak program on July 23, 2005. The goal of the program was to eliminate bottlenecks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and reduced gridlock on area freeways.

Under the OffPeak program, all international container terminals in the two adjacent ports have established five new shifts per week (Monday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). As an incentive to use the new OffPeak shifts, a Traffic Mitigation Fee is required for most cargo movement during peak hours (Monday through Friday, 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).

Since the start of the program, between 30 percent and 35 percent of container cargo at the ports has moved during the new OffPeak shifts on a typical day. In recent weeks that percentage has surpassed 35 percent, far exceeding initial expectations for the program.

"The OffPeak program demonstrates the willingness and ability of the goods movement industry to make important changes in business processes to benefit port communities and address operational issues," said Bruce Wargo, president of PierPASS Inc. "OffPeak is giving stakeholders a window of opportunity to develop a regional goods movement strategy, including long-term infrastructure solutions."