PennDOT seeks truck parking answers from high school students

October 19, 2022

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PennDOT is looking to students in ninth through 12th grade to come up with solutions to the commercial truck parking crisis in the state.

The agency sponsors a statewide competition called the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Innovations Challenge, which challenges teams of students to solve real-world transportation problems. This is the sixth year of the competition.

“There is a shortage of commercial truck parking along major interstate corridors in Pennsylvania,” according to a PennDOT news release. “While there are approximately 11,600 truck parking spaces available at private truck stops, PennDOT rest areas and welcome centers, and Pennsylvania Turnpike service plazas, during peak truck parking hours, approximately 12,100 trucks require parking accommodations.”

Student teams are instructed to focus on these locations:

I-99/I-80 interchange in Centre County
I-81/I-476 interchange in Luzerne County
I-84, I-380 and I-81 interchange in Lackawanna County
I-78/I-81 interchange in Lebanon County
State Route 33 at I-78 interchange in Northampton County
State Route 33 at I-80 interchange in Monroe County
I-81 (any Pennsylvania county that I-81 traverses)
I-83 Cumberland/York counties
I-70 at I-76 interchange (New Stanton) in Westmoreland County
I-70 in Washington County
I-80 in Jefferson County
I-90 in Erie County

Student teams are asked to develop an innovative approach to increase commercial truck parking availability in one of these areas and offset costs incurred for construction. Solutions must consider local ordinances and zoning laws, commercial entity interaction in land development, community impact, restroom facilities, and space requirements for commercial trucks that are generally 70-80 feet long.

Innovations Challenge teams are offered these resources to get them started:

For complete Innovations Challenge competition details, visit PennDOT’s website. LL