Georgia nears passage of legislation to address truck parking

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association welcomes Georgia statehouse action to address needed truck parking.

Available truck parking continues to be an issue nationally. New data, however, suggests significant improvement when it comes to truck parking availability nationwide.

In 2019, a Jason’s Law survey showed there were about 313,000 truck parking spaces across the nation. The figures included 40,000 spaces at public rest areas and 273,000 at private truck stops.

Georgia

A Georgia bill has moved to the governor’s desk to carry out a statewide freight and logistics implementation plan.

The 20-year plan includes annual updates to the legislature on critical projects such as widening of interstates and non-interstate arterial roads, intermodal or multimodal capacity improvements, and commercial vehicle parking and safety improvements.

The legislation follows a Senate study committee to address truck driver needs. A year ago, the panel held hearings to look at how truck issues could affect the economy as a whole, as well as every supply chain.

At the group’s final gathering, Chairman Jason Anavitarte unveiled about a dozen recommendations in a nearly 30-page report.

Recommendations included working with the Georgia Department of Transportation to expand truck parking options and limit unauthorized truck parking.

HB617 states that “the General Assembly recognizes the safe, effective, efficient and expedient movement of people and goods are essential to the economic and overall well-being of Georgia and her citizens.”

Additionally, the bill reads that “continued freight growth and the corresponding investments to support, sustain and integrate that growth are critical to Georgia’s future opportunities and prosperity.”

Senate lawmakers voted 45-1 to advance the bill to Gov. Brian Kemp. House lawmakers already approved it by unanimous consent.

OOIDA wants actual results

OOIDA advocates for expanding safe truck parking to improve safety for every road user.

The Association has noted that truck drivers do not want to park on road shoulders, off-ramps or on-ramps.

“They park there because they run out of regulated hours and literally have nowhere else to park and get some rest,” OOIDA Communications Director George O’Connor said.

Doug Morris, OOIDA director of state government affairs, added that it is time for states like Georgia to produce the space and pavement for additional truck parking.

New Jersey

A New Jersey Assembly bill would implement a rule for truck parking at certain warehouse developments.

Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, D-Middlesex, is behind the bill to require an application for development proposing a large warehouse to provide an “adequate number of onsite parking spaces” to accommodate tractor-trailers servicing the warehouse as a condition of preliminary site-plan approval.

A3370 would require that trucks servicing an affected warehouse do not contribute to an overflow of tractor-trailer parking onto other local properties or rights-of-way between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

In addition, a municipality would be authorized to enact a zoning ordinance to allow the number of onsite parking spaces required for overnight truck parking to be reduced, and that an application for development for a large warehouse that contributes to an overflow of truck parking onto other local properties or rights-of-way may be approved, as allowed by the zoning ordinance.

The bill awaits consideration in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.

New York

In New York, two bills awaiting Senate floor consideration would authorize increased fines for truck parking in certain areas.

Both bills were introduced by Sen. Leroy Comrie, D-Queens. The first bill, S518, would authorize a $1,000 fine for parked or unattended semitrailers or trailers on New York City streets.

The bill memo reads that owners or operators of illegally parked tractor-trailers or semitrailers now are not fined. Owners can retrieve their vehicles by paying a $160 towing fee.

The fee is described as “a small price to pay compared to what it can cost to legally park a tractor-trailer in the city.”

S518 awaits a final Senate floor vote.

A related bill also awaiting a final Senate vote would impose a $400 fine for tractor-trailers that park overnight on New York City residential streets. Repeat offenses within six months would result in $800 fines.

Comrie said the focus of S519 is Southeast Queens between John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.

The bill memo says that “while commercial trucks have a place to pick up and drop off supplies they are delivering, there is no place for them to park.” As a result, between overnight shifts, trucks park in residential areas taking up spaces in front of homes. LL

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