5.0 ACTIONS TO REDUCE SHORTAGES

5.1 INTRODUCTION

This section begins with a summary of the results of the Rest Area Forum that FHWA hosted to identify issues and find solutions to provide adequate safe parking for commercial drivers and their vehicles. Next, the section outlines recommendations suggested by a number of stakeholder groups to capture specific positions that will help form an implementation agenda. In addition, the section describes actions proposed by partners to reduce commercial truck parking shortages identified by the preliminary demand/supply analysis results in their States. This information will serve as the basis for continuing dialog among the stakeholder community to address this problem. It is expected that the information provided from this study, as well as from previous efforts, will provide a sufficient level of detail to identify specific forward-moving actions.

5.2 REST AREA FORUM

On June 29-30, 1999, FHWA hosted a 2-day Rest Area Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 70 representatives from State DOTs and enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, commercial drivers, private truck stop operators, safety advocates, and other interested stakeholders participated in the Forum, which was intended to address the following objectives:

• Review issues surrounding the provision of parking for commercial drivers by both States and commercial truck stop operators.
  
  
• Describe and document success stories and best practices.
  
  
• Consider means to provide real-time information on the availability of parking spaces and information on driver fatigue.
  
  
• Identify actions and initiatives, including legislative and funding, that could be undertaken to address parking shortages.

A number of issues were identified by Forum participants, and recommendations were developed for the seven highest ranked issues (not presented in any ranked order):

• Improve safety and security at public rest areas and commercial truck stops.
  
  
• Provide low-interest loans, tax incentives, and public-private partnerships to support commercial truck stops (i.e., meet parking space demand through the private sector).
  
  
• Use alternative parking sites such as weigh stations and park-and-ride lots.
  
  
• Improve the provision and location of public rest areas and commercial truck stops (e.g., spacing standards between parking areas).
  
  
• Improve financial support for improving and expanding public rest areas, and make this a safety-related issue.
  
  
• Eliminate time limits on parking at public rest areas. Alternatively, enforce time limits to increase the availability of spaces at public rest areas.
  
  
• Increase driver education and information on causes of fatigue and on the availability and location of available parking spaces.

These recommendations served as a resource for identifying a number of questions that were included in the survey.⁽¹⁾ It is interesting to note that the findings of the current study, which draws upon a significantly larger (and different) population than that included in the Rest Area Forum, are consistent with and support these recommendations. The Rest Area Forum report also noted that the recommendations developed were not necessarily consensus recommendations, and that various stakeholders disagreed on approaches to addressing shortages of commercial vehicle parking spaces. The results of the current study support this lack of consensus, in particular on the issue of whether parking space shortages should be addressed by expanding public rest areas or relying on the private sector to meet demand.

5.3 STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS

Thirteen National stakeholder groups representing the enforcement community, the motor carrier industry, truck rest stop operators, shippers and receivers, and the safety community were contacted to provide specific recommendations on how to reduce commercial truck parking shortages. Each of these groups shares a common desire to solve the truck-parking problem, but provides a different viewpoint on the best approach to solve this problem. These viewpoints and the corresponding recommendations can be summarized as follows:

• The trucking industry should have the primary responsibility for ensuring that adequate parking is available for commercial vehicles. The truck-stop industry provides adequate parking to meet the needs of most professional drivers. Where those needs are not being met, the trucking industry should look for alternative parking options by setting schedules to use existing parking more efficiently, developing consortia to locate available parking in areas where existing parking is deemed inadequate, and working with shippers and receivers to allow parking at those facilities. This position is supported most strongly by stakeholders representing truck rest stop operators.
  
  
• The government should have a significant responsibility to provide parking spaces for commercial vehicles. Funding for parking spaces at public rest areas should be increased. Improved access to parking at public facilities should be provided by (a) removing parking restrictions at existing public rest areas, (b) designating more spaces for truck parking only, (c) opening other facilities (e.g., inspection and weigh stations, park-and-ride facilities) to truck parking during off-hours or non-peak periods of demand, and (d) communicating information about space availability and locations to drivers (e.g., through the use of variable message signs, brochures, telephone messages, and the Internet). This position is supported most strongly by stakeholders representing the motor carrier industry and the safety community.
  
  
• Both the trucking industry and the government should participate to ensure adequate parking for commercial vehicles is available. In addition to the ideas listed in the previous two paragraphs, the Federal Government should mandate the use of highway funds to construct public rest area facilities where a need for such facilities is demonstrated. In addition, public-private partnerships could be used to build new parking spaces either by providing low-interest loans or State-owned land for construction of new parking spaces. This position is supported most strongly by stakeholders representing shippers and receivers and, to a lesser degree, the safety community.

5.4 ACTIONS RECOMMENDED BY STATE PARTNER GROUPS

Partners provided a set of recommended actions to solve any parking shortfalls that have been identified either through this study or as a result of other similar studies conducted in recent years for their States. These actions fall into six broad categories, as listed below:

• Expand or improve public rest areas.
  
• Expand or improve commercial truck stops.
  
• Encourage the formation of public-private partnerships.
  
• Educate or inform drivers about available spaces.
  
• Change parking enforcement rules.
  
• Conduct additional studies.

Table 11 summarizes the actions that have either recently been completed or are currently being implemented in each State. Table 12 summarizes the actions by each State partnership for future implementation. The most frequently mentioned action was to improve or expand public rest areas. The next most frequently mentioned action was to improve or expand commercial truck stops.

5.5 ACTIONS TO EXPAND OR IMPROVE PUBLIC REST AREAS

A number of States expressed a desire to expand or improve the public rest area facilities as a strategy to increase the availability of parking for trucks. For example, 37 States have expressed a desire to expand their facilities at some point in the future. A total of 15 States stated that they have firm plans to provide additional parking spaces, while 11 of these States provided a specific number of spaces for a total increase of 1,609 spaces at public facilities over the next 5 years, which is 5.1 percent of the 31,249 current spaces. Additional recommendations follow:

• Construct new public rest area facilities with additional truck parking spaces. Consider developing truck-only parking facilities. Raise the priority of public rest area construction by making it a safety-related issue.
  
  
• Add new truck spaces to existing public rest areas as part of scheduled rest area reconstruction or rehabilitation. Redesign and reconfigure rest areas to increase parking and improve commercial vehicle circulation through the lot. Also, convert parallel parking to pull-through parking for added driver convenience.
  
  
• Convert closed public rest areas into parking facilities, and consider designating these facilities for truck-parking only.
  
  
• Investigate the use of Federal funds for maintaining public rest areas. Explore alternative financing of public rest area construction. Develop pilot projects for generating revenue to keep public rest areas open.
  
  
• Partner with other State agencies such as the Department of Tourism to incorporate truck parking needs in the development of new tourist information sites.
  
  
• Review and expand security at public rest areas by providing call boxes, cameras, increased law enforcement, etc.
  
  
• Identify locations where commercial vehicle parking can be combined with Ports-of-Entry, weigh stations, or police substations. Consider exempting trucks from enforcement actions to encourage the use of these sites for parking by fatigued drivers.

Table 11. Summary of recent or current actions pursued by State partners

Table 12. Summary of future actions recommended by State partners

• Construct turnouts in rural sections of Interstate for highway parallel parking by commercial trucks.
  
  
• Upgrade facilities currently closed during off-season to be open year round.
  
  
• Improve geometric design at interchanges to increase convenience to drivers choosing to exit. For example, increase turning radii, widen narrow bridges, place traffic signals where warranted, and add turning lanes to ease access to and egress from commercial truck stops.

5.6 ACTIONS TO EXPAND OR IMPROVE COMMERCIAL TRUCK STOPS

A number of States believe the best solution to providing additional commercial truck parking along overcrowded corridors is to let the commercial truck stop industry continue to construct the required spaces. Growth estimates provided by the NATSO Foundation point out that the number of private spaces has increased by an average of 6.5 percent per year over the last 2 years. If this rate continues, much of the private demand can be accommodated by the anticipated growth in private spaces.

5.7 ACTIONS TO ENCOURAGE THE FORMATION OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Several States recommended the formation or promotion of public-private partnerships to expand the number of parking spaces available for use by commercial trucks. These suggestions included the following:

• Create working groups between the public and private sectors to develop new parking and explore options to overcome barriers to cooperation.
  
  
• Work with the private sector to redevelop or construct new public rest areas with direct access to the interstate.
  
  
• Provide low-interest loans or grants to commercial truck stops to increase capacity.
  
  
• Construct State-owned lots adjacent to commercial truck stops and travel plazas and enter into agreements to lease or maintain lot.
  
  
• Work with owners of commercial truck stops to help them promote the availability of parking in large lots close to the Interstate highway (e.g., provide signage on the highway).

5.8 ACTIONS TO EDUCATE OR INFORM DRIVERS ABOUR AVAILABLE SPACES

A number of States recommended developing information sources or infrastructure that will better inform or educate drivers about the availability of parking. States suggest that the Intelligent Transportation System infrastructure may provide real-time information on the availability of parking to drivers. In addition, States suggested that drivers be informed of the importance of complying with hours-of-service rules to encourage fatigued drivers to pull off the road. Specific recommendations offered by the States include the following:

• Educate drivers on the safety benefits of rest and encourage them to use available spaces. For example, provide safety information (e.g., through brochures and public service announcements) to both drivers and trucking companies about the relationship between driver fatigue and accidents to encourage fatigued drivers to get off the road.
  
  
• Develop Intelligent Transportation System deployments that provide drivers with real-time information on the location and availability of parking spaces. For example, investigate using cell telephones and radio frequencies to broadcast parking locations and their availability to drivers.
  
  
• Investigate using mailings related to credentials administration for the International Registration Plan and the International Fuel Tax Agreement as a means to distribute information on the location and type of parking spaces within the base State to participating motor carriers.
  
  
• Publish and distribute a "truckers map" that pinpoints parking facilities for drivers.
  
  
• Initiate a program that informs drivers of State-approved parking facilities. Such facilities may have security, lighting, and other services that will encourage drivers to use existing spaces.
  
  
• Use both static and real-time signage to provide drivers with information about availability and location of public and private parking spaces.

5.9 ACTIONS TO CHANGE PARKING ENFORCEMENT RULES

Changes in parking regulations and other development-related regulations were recommended by several States. These included the following:

• Implement more stringent enforcement of parking rules to remove vehicles from locations such as interchange ramps.
  
  
• Change parking limits to permit trucks more time to park at public rest areas.
  
  
• Encourage local government and business support for constructing and operating commercial truck stop facilities in or near their community industrial and business parks (i.e., zoning). The "Not in My Back Yard" syndrome has made it difficult to gain this local support. This issue has become a major problem for developing new commercial truck stops and public rest area facilities near the boundaries of larger cities.
  
  
• Encourage better recognition or credit and tax incentives for companies and terminal operators who provide "truck staging area" facilities for pick-up and delivery activities with 24-hour access, parking, sanitation, and security. This could be promoted at both the State and National level.
  
  
• Promote building requirements for future warehouse and delivery facilities to incorporate truck parking and staging facilities as part of their development/building permit process. Encourage public/private partnerships to fund or offset these increased costs. This could be promoted at both the State and local level.

5.10 ACTIONS TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL STUDIES

Several States recommended more detailed follow-up studies to refine the results emerging from this effort and to develop more detailed strategies targeted at specific locations.

One State will be pursuing more detailed truck parking supply and demand studies at the State and regional levels on specific heavily traveled truck corridor highways. The methodology used for the national study will be modified. Field interviews with truckers could be added to make the results of these studies more useful as planning tools for developing measures to address identified parking problems.

Another State suggested that a multi-State committee be established to evaluate alternatives and recommend solutions that would address "on-time deliveries." Many States noted that truck parking demand at certain locations is a reflection of trucks "staging" to provide "just-in-time" delivery.

5.11 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

State partners recommend the implementation of several types of strategies to expand or better manage parking for vehicles to comply with Federal hours-of-service rules. These actions include expanding or improving public rest areas, expanding or improving commercial truck stops, encouraging the formation of public-private partnerships, educating or informing drivers about available spaces, changing enforcement rules, and conducting additional studies.