The survey, a request for which has been filed by FHWA with the White House for approval, is part of the agency’s ongoing research into the U.S. truck parking shortage. The research was set in motion by 2012’s MAP-21 highway funding law, which set aside federal funds to help expand available truck parking and called for FWHA to complete studies around the lack of truck parking.
Part of the MAP-21-required research tasks FWHA with producing a “comparative assessment of truck parking facilities in each state.” The agency’s 2014 survey of truck drivers sought insights into state-to-state variances in truck parking, ranking states by available parking spaces per 100,000 miles of annual truck vehicle miles.
FHWA’s planned survey of truck stops and state officials seeks more information on states’ truck parking situations. The agency says it plans to ask respondents about the “number of spaces,…demand for parking in their state…truck parking information systems, truck parking plans, as well as any impediments to providing adequate truck parking capacity.” Such impediments could include “legislative, regulatory or financial issues; zoning; public and private impacts, approval and participation; availability of land; insurance requirements and other issues,” FHWA says in its public notice announcing the survey.
The agency is accepting public comment on its planned survey through May 23, inviting industry stakeholders to provide input on what questions or information should be collected in its survey of truck stops and DOT officials. Click here to file a public comment on the proposed survey.
