Federal Highway Administration’s Truck Parking

Initiatives

AASHTO Sub Committee on Highway Transport2013 Annual Meeting

July 9,2013 Tom Kearney

Freight Operations ProgramFHWA-HOFM

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

A Number of Studies Have Been Completed on the Subject of the Adequacy of Truck Parking Opportunities. Some of the larger efforts in this area leading to the completion of Studies are:

• 1996: “Making Space for Safety” Study completed by FHWA’s Office of Motor Carriers (OMC);

• 2000: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Completed a Study entitled “Special Investigation Report: Truck Parking Areas”;

• 2002: FHWA Completes “Study of the Adequacy of Truck Parking Facilities”;

• 2003: National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Completes the “Dealing with Truck Parking Demands” Study;

• 2012: FHWA Completes and Submits to Congress the “Commercial Vehicle Parking Shortage” Study.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Findings from Studies –

• The 1996 “Making Space for Safety” identified the need for and benefit of publicly supplied short-term spaces located within highway the right-of-way and long-term parking spaces supplied by private sector – a severe shortage of parking spaces was identified in this Study;

• The 2002 FHWA “Adequacy Study” included a national inventory of truck parking facilities and spaces and went on to highlight the severity of the truck parking shortage and warned the shortage would increase coupled with truck travel increases.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

The NTSB Study of 2000 is of special interest. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), as a result of the Special Report, initiated an investigation into technology based approaches to developing solutions to the truck parking shortage challenge –

• FMCSA Undertook Phase I of the “Smart-Park” Research Project , the Results Underscored the Challenges in Using Technology to –– Define CMV Dimensions;– Detect Space Availability.

• FMCSA is Currently Progressing Phase II of their “Smart Park” Research Project in Tennessee in the Commercial Motor Vehicle Roadside Technology Corridor.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

The “Report to Congress” completed and submitted in June, 2012, included a finding common to all studies completed by USDOT and TRB on truck parking needs – • Congress required this six-month Study in Conference Report

accompanying the FY 2012 Appropriations Act;• A number of studies completed by states and metropolitan planning

organizations (MPOs) were referenced in this Study;• This Study included research results submitted by applicants to the

SAFETEA-LU Discretionary Program;• The severity of truck parking space shortages and its linkage to

highway safety was articulated very well in a number of applications FHWA received.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Truck Stops on the FAF3 Highway Network

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Rest Areas on the FAF3 Highway Network

There are ~1700 miles1 of Interstate highway that are not within 30 miles2 of a truck stop or rest area

1 Each direction of travel is counted2 Great circle distance, not network distance Parking Facility Source: FHWA Geocoded Database of Truck Stops, FHWA Geocoded Database of Truck Stops

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

SAFETEA-LU (PL 109-59) Section 1305 established the Truck Parking Facilities Discretionary Program:

• Congress designated $25 million for this Program over the four years of SAFETEA-LU’s operation;

• FHWA was able to fund close to $34 in projects with those funds and funding made available through extensions of SAFETEA-LU legislation;

• Seven activities are identified in the SAFETEA-LU legislation as eligible for funding through the Program.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

SAFETEA-LU Section 1305 Eligible Projects –

• (A) Constructing safety rest areas (as defined in section 120(c) of title 23, United States Code) that include parking for commercial motor vehicles.

• (B) Constructing commercial motor vehicle parking facilities adjacent to commercial truck stops and travel plazas.

• (C) Opening existing facilities to commercial motor vehicle parking, including inspection and weigh stations and park-and-ride facilities.

• (D) Promoting the availability of publicly or privately provided commercial motor vehicle parking on the National Highway System using intelligent transportation systems and other means.

• (E) Constructing turnouts along the National Highway System for commercial motor vehicles.

• (F) Making capital improvements to public commercial motor vehicle parking facilities currently closed on a seasonal basis to allow the facilities to remain open year-round.

• (G) Improving the geometric design of interchanges on the National Highway System to improve access to commercial motor vehicle parking facilities.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

SAFETEA-LU Section 1305 Truck Parking Facilities Program produced –

– Applications totaling more than $231 million requesting funding through the program;

– Awards totaling close to $34 million;– A diverse set of project types being funded:

• ITS based space availability detection and broadcast;• Truck parking space construction;• Enhancements enabling year-round use.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

SAFETEA-LU Section 1305 Discretionary Program:– Over $20 million in funds awarded to projects developing and

delivering ITS based solutions;– I-95 Corridor Coalition (seven state corridor from CT to NC) and

Caltrans’ I-5 projects were first awards made under the program;

– I-95 CC project links space availability detection to Traffic Management Centers as means to make drivers aware of parking opportunities;

– Caltrans I-5 project includes a reservation based approach for procuring a truck parking space.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

SAFETEA-LU Section 1305 Discretionary Program:– Truck parking space construction was the focus of awards made

in FY 2011 and 2012 –• 324 new spaces are being built through the 6 awards made

in FY 2011;• Another 103 spaces will be built through awards made to 4

projects in FY 2012;• 60 short-term truck parking spaces in Colorado at Dotsero

on I-70 were converted to long-term spaces through the provision of enhancements at an existing site.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Program Changes Under MAP-21:

• SAFETEA-LU’s Truck Parking Discretionary Program was not continued under MAP-21;

• The Discretionary Program was converted to the “core” Federal-aid Highway Program;

• The seven eligible activities identified under SAFETEA-LU Section 1305 are eligible for National Highway Performance Program, Surface Transportation Assistance Act and Highway Safety Improvement Program funds under MAP-21;

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Program Changes Under MAP-21 (continued):

• More funding is thereby made available for truck parking projects;• Sponsors of projects must now advance their projects like other

Federal-aid eligible projects –– Project must be advanced through the metropolitan planning

process and added to the TIP (in urban areas) or advanced through the statewide planning process (in rural areas) ultimately being added to the state’s STIP;

– Projects must compete for funding with other project needs.

• Language on Truck Parking can be found in Section 1401 of MAP-21 (PL 112-141) entitled “Jason’s Law”.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Section 1401(c) of MAP-21 requires the completion of a Survey and Comparative Assessment of Truck Parking Needs:

– The statutory language requires the Secretary of Transportation to deliver a Report to Congress presenting findings on the adequacy of truck parking facilities serving interstate truck movements.

– Findings must address:• Assess the capability of each state to meet truck parking

needs;• Estimate the volume of truck travel in each state;• Develop metrics measuring the adequacy of truck parking

facility supply.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Outreach and Collaboration are the key elements for successfully completing the requirements contained in the Survey and Comparative Study:• A survey will be prepared and operated with outreach to trucking industry,

truck drivers, state cmv safety program personnel, law enforcement and private facility owners and operators;

• A Federal Register Notice laying out FHWA’s intended approach to conducting is open for comment through August , 2013;

• The Survey will be conducted this fall;• A Workshop involving key stakeholders will be convened to identify metrics

designed to measure the adequacy of truck parking and rest facilities in each state;

• The Workshop will be conducted in August or September, 2013;

• We need your help in completing this undertaking!

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

Smart Roadside Prototype Development Project:

– Research Project Supported Through USDOT’s Strategic ITS Research Program;

– FHWA, FMCSA and the Joint ITS Program Office are leading this project;

– Development of an interface with ITS based Truck Parking Detection/Notification Systems is included as a component under SRI Prototype Application;

– The SRI Prototype Application is in the Design Phase; a “walk-through” focusing on the Design Document was recently completed;

– Completion of application development, field testing and preparation of documentation are scheduled through the spring of 2014.

FHWA Truck Parking Activities

For more information, contact –

Tom KearneyFreight Operations Program ManagerUSDOT-FHWAtom.kearney@dot.gov(518) 431 - 8890