New truck parking tool in Idaho
Truck parking continues to be a problem nationwide.
During a town hall meeting at the Guilty By Association Truck Show, Michael Hampton, senior policy advisor for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said as much.
“It’s not only an inconvenience; it’s a safety issue as well,” Hampton said.
To address truck parking, some states have deployed truck parking availability systems to provide more accurate parking information for truckers.
Streetline said its AI-powered system is a cost-effective alternative to in-ground sensors or radar-based systems. It added that “the TPAS (truck parking availability system) leverages machine learning-based video analytics to dynamically detect and analyze parking occupancy in real time, regardless of time of day or weather.”
The Idaho Transportation Department has collaborated with the Federal Highway Administration to develop a tool that will evaluate existing and potential truck parking projects along the state’s highway system.
“The Truck Parking Demand Tool provides information for stakeholders and (Idaho Transportation Department) staff to evaluate existing and propose new projects to expand our truck-parking network,” said transportation department Senior Planner Abby Peterson.
Idaho transportation officials said the truck parking tool will identify areas of demand, look at options for adding spaces and show the economic and environmental benefits of potential projects.
“For communities, more available parking cuts down on unnecessary idling and emissions from trucks circling in search of spaces, directly supporting cleaner air and healthier environments,” Peterson said. “For the freight industry, efficient access to safe parking reduces delays, keeps goods moving and strengthens supply chain reliability.”
This same tool was recently used to identify needs and fund improvements at the Bliss Rest Area in southern Idaho. Idaho Transportation Department said it’s an easy-to-use, data-driven resource.
Funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Carbon-Reduction Program are being utilized for this initiative due to “a significant shortage of safe and reliable truck parking statewide,” according to a Idaho Transportation Department statement. LL