Events

METRANS Seminar - Dr. Thomas O’Brien -- Paper and PowerPoint Presentation are now posted.

Date: Sep 13, 2006

This seminar was held on September 13, 2006 at RGL 215.

Speaker: Dr. Thomas O’Brien
University of Southern California, California State University Long Beach
Title: Terminal Gate Appointment System at the Ports of
Los Angeles/Long Beach: An Assessment

ABSTRACT

Growth in international trade and changing patterns of production have
resulted in greatly increased volumes of freight traffic in urban areas.
Metropolitan areas that serve as major nodes within the international trade network are particularly affected. In California, state regulation was imposed on port operations in an effort to mitigate congestion and air pollution associated with increased port-related trade. This paper presents an evaluation of the terminal gate appointment system at the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports, implemented in 2003 in response to California Assembly Bill (AB) 2650. The legislation permitted terminals to adopt either gate appointments or off-peak operating hours as a means of avoiding fines for truck queues. Our results show that 1) implementation and use of the appointment system varied widely; 2) perceptions of the appointment system’s effectiveness differed across user groups; 3) there is no evidence that the appointment system reduced queuing at marine terminal gates. Our results are largely explained by institutional and contractual relationships that drive port operating practices.

PowerPoint Presentation

Paper