City of Elmira, N.Y., solves truck parking problem
While some cities are resisting truck parking areas with the not-in-my-backward mentality, other municipalities have found a solution to keeping commercial vehicles out of their literal backyards: Give them their own lot. The city of Elmira, N.Y., has done just that.
Less than 10 miles north of Pennsylvania on New York State Route 14 lies Elmira, a city of approximately 29,000 people. We first heard about Elmira from Senior Member Terry Button, an owner-operator from Rushville, N.Y. and had to check it out.
At one point, the city had an issue with trucks parking along the streets, according to one city official. Additionally, trucks starting up their engines early in the morning were causing a bit of noise pollution.
Did the city say, “Enough is enough! Not in my back yard!”? You bet, but not in the way you think. They moved trucks away from the literal backyards and gave truckers their own lot.
For $5 overnight, $30 weekly or $50 monthly, truckers can park their vehicles in Elmira without worrying about citizen pushback. In fact, Mayor Daniel Mandell told me the city was “very” accepting and welcoming of the truck lot.
The mayor’s response to citizens complaining about trucks: “That went away when we built the parking area.”
And Mayor Mandell’s response when asked if the city decided to help truckers rather than reject them: “You hit the nail on the head. It’s been a great thing for the truck drivers and a great thing for the city.”
With approximately 30 spaces available, it is not a lot of space, but it’s better than chasing trucks out of town.
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