FDOT hosting I-4 corridor truck parking public meeting on Jan. 26
Truckers who drive through the I-4 corridor in Florida will have a chance to tell transportation officials where they want a new truck parking facility.
At 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 26, the Florida Department of Transportation has scheduled a public meeting regarding the Truck and Freight Alternative Site Analysis Project Development and Environment Study in Seminole County. According to FDOT, the project will evaluate and recommend potential truck and freight parking site alternatives along the I-4 corridor that are viable for private and public operator use.
There are three options for drivers who want to participate: virtual, phone or in-person. To attend virtually, register in advance here. Internet Explorer is not supported. Drivers can also join by phone with the listen-only option by calling 415-655-0052 and entering the passcode 970-201-133. The open house will be in the Safari Room at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens; 3755 W. Seminole Blvd.; Sanford, FL 32771. A looping presentation and project exhibits will be at the in-person location.
All meeting materials and the presentation will be available on the I-4 corridor project website before the meeting. Public meetings are planned in each county in February.
For more information, contact FDOT Project Manager Ennis Davis, AICP at 386-943-5422, email at Ennis.Davis@dot.State.fl.us or U.S. mail at Florida Department of Transportation, 719 S. Woodland Blvd., MS 501; DeLand, FL 32720.
A Florida resident, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Board Member Linda Allen said she plans to attend the meeting. Allen told Land Line Now that Florida appears to be taking some initiative to address the truck parking crisis.
“It seems like (Florida is) a little bit more interested in getting the truck drivers’ perspective,” Allen said.
There was no truck parking available at the last trucking-related FDOT meeting Allen attended.
I-4 corridor truck parking project
The meeting is an early stage of a project to address truck parking in the state.
FDOT is conducting a truck parking project development and environment study along the I-4 corridor in Osceola, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties. The study will review, refine and recommend viable alternative sites for parking, according to FDOT. Each potential site will be evaluated for operational and safety needs for existing and future transportation demand, and a preliminary concept design will be performed.
Although several sites are candidates, funding allows for only one truck parking facility. Truckers can let officials know which site is the best location. However, FDOT is seeking funding for additional truck parking sites.
FDOT documents reveal a price tag between $28 million and $44 million, including $2 million for the study, $2 million for design, $10.6-$27 million for right of way acquisition and $13.4 million for construction. If all goes as planned, construction will begin around May 2026.
After the public meetings, FDOT will finalize the study.
According to FDOT, the state needs 3,400 additional truck parking spaces to meet demand. With annual average daily truck traffic of 7,000-18,000, the I-4 corridor is the most critical corridor in the state. Currently, there are only 36 available spaces in the district. By 2025, FDOT estimates it will need 750 parking spaces along the corridor. The corridor will need nearly 900 spaces to meet demand by 2040. LL
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