Arizona’s plan to address truck parking exceeds available funding

December 14, 2023

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One state’s plan to address the truck parking crisis has hit a bit of a snag.

Last week, officials with the Arizona Department of Transportation unveiled a plan to add over 800 truck parking spaces across the Grand Canyon State. While the additional parking will be welcomed by truckers, the state is left with one important question: how to pay for the construction.

Garin Groff, spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said that while the department has identified a need for more available parking for semis, the state still lacks the funding to complete all of the recommended additions.

“ADOT took a look at where the demand is in terms of existing lots and their capacity, as well as where trucks are parking in undesignated areas,” Groff told Land Line Now. “Between that, we saw where the need was and also where it’s feasible to build locations within a reasonable budget constraint.”

Groff added that ADOT currently has the funding – about $32 million – for upgrades at three of the recommended sites. Those projects are expected to generate 370 new parking spaces at the following locations:

Burnt Well Rest Area
Meteor Crater Rest Area
B-10/Route 186 interchange Safe Lot

In November, the department released its Statewide Truck Parking Plan, which identified 10 locations that would best address the immediate demand for parking spaces across Arizona.

“Ensuring sufficient truck parking is crucial to reducing the risks posed by undesignated parking and enhancing overall efficiency in freight logistics,” ADOT said in its report.

According to Groff, those immediate projects should help to address some of the “hot spots” where spaces are most needed. However, they just scratch the surface when it comes to the demand across the state.

“We see a tremendous increase in demand for truck parking,” he said. “Funding has become available for at least three of these facilities, so we thought it’s a good time to take a look at what we can build in the near term and have plans in place as we identify funding for future projects.”

According to the state’s plan, the other seven projects will carry an estimated cost of about $74 million. Groff said that ADOT will continue to work to identify funding sources for the “longer term portion of the plan.” As far as that funding goes, he said the department will “look wherever we can find it” and will explore both state and federal options.

In total, the department suggested adding 842 parking spaces at the 10 locations. The locations include seven existing rest areas, as well as three new “safe lots” that would be designed specifically for commercial vehicle parking.

The safe lots would be simple, overnight parking lots with vault toilets. While the amenities may be bare-bones, Groff said they would help ease the parking problems facing drivers.

“These would not be full-fledged rest areas but would provide space for parking,” he added.

There is no timeline for the completion of the state’s truck parking plan. LL