PierPASS Changes Registration Procedures for OffPeak Program

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PierPASS Inc. today announced new procedures for cargo owners to register under the OffPeak program at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The changes were made to enhance the security of the registration process, and will be in place by Friday, September 14, 2007.

Registration is a one-time procedure for cargo owners that establishes an account with PierPASS. The changes apply only to new registrations, and will not affect existing accounts.

The OffPeak program was launched in July 2005 with the support of state and local elected officials, local communities and cargo owners to reduce congestion in and around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Under the OffPeak program, all international container terminals in the two 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 and to cover the added cost of the shifts, a Traffic Mitigation Fee is now required for most cargo movement during peak hours (Monday through Friday, 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).

Under the revised procedure, registration applications must be approved by PierPASS before cargo owners can access the PierPASS TMF payment system. PierPASS intends to process registration applications for approval or denial within four business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Previously, cargo owners could access the PierPASS TMF payment system immediately after registering with PierPASS.

“By improving the OffPeak registration process, PierPASS is enhancing security and improving the program’s overall efficiency,” said PierPASS President and CEO Bruce Wargo.

Cargo owners can register for the OffPeak program by following the “OffPeak Login/Registration” link on the PierPASS home page, www.pierpass.org.

OffPeak shifts handle an average of 65,000 truck trips in a typical week, or about 37 percent of all container moves at the two ports. More than 6 million truck trips have been diverted from peak daytime traffic since the start of the OffPeak program in July 2005, eliminating costly bottlenecks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and reducing gridlock on area freeways.

About PierPASS

PierPASS is a not-for-profit company created by marine terminal operators at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports to address multi-terminal issues such as congestion, security and air quality. For more information, please go to www.pierpass.org.