L.A., Long Beach Ports Divert 30 Million Trucks From Daytime Traffic
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, have diverted 30 million truck trips from daytime traffic in the city with the use of an off-peak-hour program.
As part of OffPeak, operated by PierPass Inc., the 13 container terminals at the ports operate additional shifts on nights and Saturdays.
About 17,000 trucks visit the terminals on an average weeknight, enough trucks to form a bumper-to bumper line from Los Angeles. to San Jose, according to the company.
“The terminals here have been delivering cargo reliably and without major disruptions since the 2004 congestion crisis that led to the creation of PierPass,” PierPass CEO Bruce Wargo said in a statement.
Many of the trucks serving the ports work a single shift spanning the second half of the day shift and the first half of the night shift, creating shorter or no lines during the mornings and after 11 p.m., according to PierPass.
Since 2005, OffPeak gates have grown to handle about 55% of the daily truck-borne container traffic at the ports.
“One reason L.A.-Long Beach works is because the PierPass OffPeak program nearly doubled the capacity of the ports in 2005, with no tax payer funding,” Wargo said.
