“The impact of these dollars will be felt in communities across the country for years to come,” Duffy said. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg)
key takeaways:
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on July 7 announced $62 million for truck parking projects in five states within $1.73 billion in federal infrastructure grants.
- Industry leaders, including ATA President Chris Spear, said the chronic shortage of parking increases safety risks and costs, underscoring the need for expanded capacity and technology upgrades.
- States will use the funds to add and improve truck parking and systems, while ATA urged Congress to approve an additional $200 million in pending appropriations.
The trucking industry is applauding Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s $62 million investment to add safe parking spaces for drivers in five states.
Duffy announced July 7 $1.73 billion in federal grants for 127 infrastructure projects includes money to ease truck parking shortages in Kentucky, Wyoming, Louisiana, Mississippi and Illinois.
“The impact of these dollars will be felt in communities across the country for years to come,” Duffy said.
Funds were provided through Better use of investment to leverage growth Grant Program.
American Trucking Association President Chris Spear Federal investment praised This will help truck drivers find safe parking. He said the continued lack of available truck parking creates a public safety risk and increases consumer costs.
“We appreciate Secretary Duffy’s commitment to addressing this long-standing problem,” Speier said. “When drivers complete their shift, they have the right to know they’ll be able to find a safe place to sleep that night. Congress can help expand this investment by approving $200 million for truck parking included in this year’s appropriations bill.”
Kentucky will receive $25 million in federal funds to offset a $54.8 million project to create new truck parking slots at seven existing rest areas on four major interstate freight corridors along Interstates 75, 71, 65 and 64.
The project includes the addition of an advanced truck parking information management system at all sites, new sidewalks, and handicapped accessible truck parking spaces.
A $22.1 million grant was awarded for the Mississippi Interstate 10 Freight Corridor Truck Parking Expansion Project. The state intends to add interstate truck parking and technology improvements to the Hancock County Welcome Center. Parking spaces will increase from the current 20 to 74. The location will also be equipped with truck parking availability system technologies, roadside dynamic parking availability signs and fiber-optic infrastructure.
“When drivers finish their shift, they have the right to know they’ll be able to find a safe place to sleep that night,” Spear said. (BIM/Getty Images)
Illinois plans to spend its $13.1 million grant on a $26.3 million effort to reconstruct and expand truck parking at the Fort Massac and Salt Kettle rest areas. Improvements to Fort Massacre include demolishing and building four family-assistance restrooms, as well as increasing truck parking stalls from 19 to 64.
There will be 41 new truck stalls and other road improvements at the Salt Kettle site.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation was awarded $640,000 for an $800,000 truck parking study along I-12 and I-10. The goal is to evaluate truck parking demand to determine the possibilities of adding capacity at publicly owned locations.
Wyoming transportation planners will receive a $1.4 million grant to cover the majority of the costs of a Winter Truck Parking Action Plan to prioritize potential truck parking solutions along Wyoming’s interstate system.
In a recent related development, federal and state transportation officials in Florida emphasized trucking safety as they begin work on a project that will bring more than 900 truck parking spaces to the Interstate 4 freight corridor.
