11/26/06

Parking Shortage: No Easy Fix

OLIVER B. PATTON
WASHINGTON EDITOR

      There never will be enough public rest areas to meet the needs of truck drivers who want to pull over for a break, according to a new federal study.
      In most states, the combination of public and private areas is sufficient to meet demand, the study says. It also says that while states are planning to expand their public rest areas, the major responsibility for commercial parking spaces lies with private industry — specifically, the truck stop and travel plaza industry.
      "Public rest areas along the National Highway System were never intended and will never be sufficient to accommodate truck-parking demand."
      The report was prepared by the Federal Highway Administration in response to concerns that tired truck drivers frequently cannot find a safe place to park and rest. During the extended public debate over reforms to the hours of service rules, drivers often said that they have difficulty complying with the rules because rest areas are full, or because police do not permit them to park and sleep.
      The report, released in early July, underscores what drivers already know by experience. Parking shortages occur regionally or locally, along specific freight corridors. Most drivers — 77% — prefer to take their rest stops at commercial facilities, but the choice has a lot to do with what the driver needs at any given moment. Drivers prize public rest areas for their easy access, and truckstops for their amenities. For example, drivers who need a quick nap favor rest areas by 45% to 19%, while those who need a meal overwhelmingly prefer to visit a truckstop.
      The study counted public and private parking spaces in each state, and compared the numbers to estimates of driver demand. It found that 12 states have a shortage: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas and Washington. All the rest of the states have either a sufficient number of spaces, or a surplus.
      This picture changes considerably when you look at the availability of just public spaces. In that category, most states are deficient. Only 14 states have enough public spaces: Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
      This reflects the basic statistic that governs the situation: 90% of parking spaces are in truck stops and travel plazas, while 10% are in public rest areas. The problem is complicated by shortages in certain locales and surpluses in others, and by the ebb and flow of traffic throughout the day.
      The study highlighted a source of drivers' concern: 23% of the demand is for public parking spaces, but only 10% of parking spaces are public. Half of the drivers who filled out the study's survey said that parking is rarely or almost never available at public areas, while 15% said the same about private areas.
      Unless things change, the problem will get worse. The study found that public spaces are expected to grow at a 1% annual rate over the next 20 years, while demand will grow 2.7% per year.

What is the solution?

      According to the report, a number of states have drafted plans to fix aspects of the problem. They will encourage public-private partnerships, and tell drivers how to find open spaces. Some also plan to change their parking rules — getting stricter about parking on ramps but more lenient about accommodating legally parked drivers who need more time to rest. Most states report they have already expanded or will expand public parking areas.
      On the federal level, the highway administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will cooperate to keep the conversation going. The agencies plan to help states find solutions to regional problems, and to foster innovative financing ideas.
      The study calls on the highway administration to encourage federal funding for improving access to truckstops and travel plazas. It also suggests a number of initiatives for the upcoming federal highway funding bill, including low-interest loans, using federal funds to build auxiliary public parking lots at private truckstops, and prohibiting states from enforcing time restrictions at public rest areas. Another suggestion: permit commercialization of public rest areas.
      American Trucking Assns. President William Canary applauded the study, saying that it confirms what drivers are saying about the shortage of parking spaces.
      ATA members support the study's recommendations, particularly its call for federal funding for parking facilities, Canary said.
      "Common sense safety practices lead us to strongly support the recommendation to prohibit states from engaging in the absurd practice of forcing truck drivers out of public rest areas, especially when they would be in violation of federal hours-of-service regulations," he added.

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