The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding with Gateway Cities Council, financing its Truck Fleet Modernization Program with an additional $4.7 million over the next three years. The Truck Fleet Modernization program provides incentives of $20,000 to $50,000 per vehicle for commercial truck owners to trade in pre-1984 vehicles for newer models with cleaner-burning engines.
The port has contributed money to the Truck Fleet Modernization Program since 2003, and has invested a total of $14.7 million.
More than 203 trucks have been replaced, saving up to 812 tons of nitrogen oxide and up to 203 tons of particulate matter over the next five years. By 2008, a total of 400 to 500 trucks will have modernized through this program.
“This program gets to the heart of a large source of emissions at the port, the trucks that haul containers,” said Dr Ralph Appy, the port's director of environmental management.
Gateway Cities money will be provided to registered truck owners who can verify that they have made at least 500 to 700 average annual trips to or from the Port of Los Angeles. Priority will be given to trucks that have the most documented trips to the West Basin area of the Harbor District.
