Parking for trucks has become a hot-button issue in the United States. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act to help alleviate the national parking shortage. This month, the Senate introduced its own version of the same bill.
The act would allocate $755 million for more parking spaces all over the country. The Biden Administration has already taken action to alleviate some of the worst effects of the shortage this year. In October, Pete Buttigieg announced two federal grants for parking improvements along I-40 near Nashville and I-4 between Tampa and Orlando. However, if this Senate bill passes, the government will have much more to work with.
Although the Senate bill is a companion to the House version, they are slightly different. Unlike the House bill, the Senate version allows for the construction of parking spaces at private truck stops and travel plazas. Those projects do still require a public-sector partner, though. The differences between the two bills are pretty small, and most pundits expect this uncontroversial legislation to pass easily.
Truck Parking: A Major Concern for Safety on the Road
As the country tries to return to normalcy after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, more everyday concerns are returning to the forefront of American discourse. Truckers have been sounding the alarm about the lack of parking for years, as the issue has gotten worse and worse over time. Right now, estimates suggest that there are 10 trucks on the road for every parking spot. That discrepancy leaves truckers parking in unsafe and illegal spots in order to get some sleep so they can keep driving safely.
It’s good that the federal government is finally stepping in to help solve this problem. The general public often forgets about truckers and their concerns, especially when it comes to something like this. However, truckers need places to rest! Hopefully, these grants will be well used to help shore up this major deficit in our infrastructure.
