Truck parking ban with amendments passed by Minneapolis committee

A Minneapolis committee has approved amendments to a proposed truck parking ban, paving the way for potential parking accommodations for truckers.

On Wednesday, July 14, the Minneapolis Transportation and Public Works Committee voted 5-1 to recommend approval of ordinance 2019-00855, which bans all truck parking within the city. The recommendation comes with amendments that address concerns regarding where truckers are supposed to park.

On June 23, the committee approved the underlying ordinance, which prohibits vehicles over 26,000 pounds from parking “on any city street,” prohibits vehicles over 10,000 pounds from parking in residential zoning districts, and increases the fine from $45 to $150 in the first year and to $250 thereafter.

Minneapolis’ proposed ordinance was met with fierce opposition from stakeholders and at least one City Council member.

Council member Jamal Osman represents a ward with a large East African population, many of whom are truckers. Instead of a blanket truck parking ban with no solutions for truckers, Osman introduced an amendment during the July 2 city council meeting.

Although Osman’s amendment does not get rid of the truck parking ban, it does address some concerns raised by stakeholders. That amendment directs the following:

• Community Planning & Economic Development staff to work with all interested parties to develop commercial truck parking in Minneapolis. Outreach should be made with commercial property owners, institutions and railroad companies to find potential sites for parking. While parking lots are not a use that is representative of the adopted Minneapolis 2040 plan, the need for this use is important enough that staff should endeavor to develop as many parking spots is as feasible in the city.
• Intergovernmental Relations staff to reinvigorate regional efforts at finding legislative and operating solutions for commercial truck parking in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area.
• Staff to deliver a report to the city council in the fourth quarter of 2022 detailing the development of parking opportunities, the first year’s experience with education and enforcement, and the results of regional inter-government efforts to find regional solutions to truck parking.

On July 2, the full City Council voted 10-3 to send the truck parking ordinance with amendments back to the Transportation and Public Works Committee. With a 5-1 vote, the committee approved the amendments with recommendation to adopt. Council member Andrew Johnson was the lone dissenter. Johnson approves of both the ordinance and amendment. However, he wanted to move both items to the City Council without recommendation.

Next, the City Council will vote on the truck parking ordinance with amendments. That vote can come as soon as the next meeting scheduled for July 23.

Mixed reactions on truck parking ban

Minneapolis’ proposed truck parking ban drew a lot of attention, both inside and outside the city.
Although most of the public comments submitted supported the ordinance. Few of them address where truckers could go.

One resident encouraged a blanket truck parking ban due to large trucking becoming “an eyesore, a nuisance, and making it more difficult for Seward businesses.” Other residents made similar comments.

The Seward Civic and Commerce Association also supports the ban. In its comments, the association states that parked “trucks are not tied to any local businesses and create a host of problems while placing an unfair burden on our local businesses and residents.”

However, several commenters opposed the truck parking ban. Allison Schaumburg’s husband is a truck driver. She commented that the ordinance “will directly affect both our neighborhood and our livelihood.”

“Truck drivers, especially those with electronic logs, have to adhere to very tight duty-hour regulations in order to be in compliance,” Schaumburg commented. “If they need to spend more time looking for parking, this cuts into their available drive time and will eventually affect their delivery timelines. For example, my husband just spent about two hours finding a parking spot an hour outside of Dallas because truck parking is very limited in the actual metro area. That will now affect the next day’s drive, and possibly cause him to blow his delivery deadline.”

John Hausladen, president of the Minnesota Trucking Association, also opposes the truck parking ordinance. Hausladen said the ban would force trucks to park outside the city, impeding on-time deliveries and disrupt daily commerce. LL