PIERPASS TO REDUCE CONGESTION AT PORTS OF
LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH
PierPass Inc., a non-profit organization, was founded in 2004 by the marine terminal operators at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to address growing concerns over congestion and air pollution. Recently, PierPass announced a new program called OffPeak, to alleviate port congestion and pollution during peak traffic hours. The program encourages cargo owners to move their freight at night and on weekends, in lieu of during peak traffic hours. Moreover, cargo owners who choose not to take advantage of the program will be assessed a Traffic Mitigation Fee for each container that is moved during peak hours.
The OffPeak program is scheduled to begin on Saturday, July 23, 2005. To qualify as "off-peak," cargo must be moved Monday through Thursday from 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM, and on Saturday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Additionally, starting Monday, July 25, 2005, companies opting not to participate in the program can expect to pay a Traffic Mitigation Fee on all containers moving through the terminal gates by road during peak daytime hours. Peak daytime hours are defined as being Monday through Friday from 3:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Furthermore, PierPass has established the following Traffic Mitigation Fees for cargo moving during peak hours: $40.00 per 20-foot container, or $80.00 per 40-foot container. PierPass has indicated that only registered users are permitted to pay these fees. To find out more about the program and to register for OffPeak, please visit
www.pierpass.org.Deringer is prepared to assist clients with the new OffPeak program. Should you have any questions about PierPass or the OffPeak program, please email your inquiries to logistics@anderinger.com.