Two of nation’s busiest interstates to get $11 million for truck parking

[SilverSurfer]

The Trucker News Services
Published on Wednesday, July 9, 2008

WASHINGTON — Two of the nation’s busiest interstates will receive $11 million, more than $5 million each, in federal support for innovative strategies to reduce the frustration of truckers looking for parking on congested routes, Acting Federal Highway Administrator Jim Ray announced today, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Ray added that the two interstates, I-95 and I-5, also were selected under the Corridors of the Future Program, part of the DOT’s national congestion initiative, in September of last year.

DOT chose the East Coast’s I-95 and the West’s I-5 for the truck parking facilities program because of innovative uses of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technology to provide truckers with real-time information on available parking. The technology will monitor parking availability and transmit the updates to truckers. Both corridors will explore ways to allow truckers to reserve parking spaces ahead of time.

“Instead of hunting for parking and adding to traffic problems, truckers can know when spots are vacant to plan their stops and time the delivery of goods into major cities,” Ray said. “Predictability is good for businesses selling products and consumers buying them.”

Ray said that the selection of I-95 and I-5 was based on a corridor-wide approach to addressing congestion along interstates heavily used to transport freight.

On I-95, average daily truck traffic is over 10,000 on certain stretches, with maximum daily truck traffic above 31,000. On I-5, average daily truck traffic is near 10,000 with a maximum above 35,000. The two corridors represent 10 percent of total interstate truck traffic.

(source: The Trucker .com)

-fs-

[Administrator Note]
I'm amazed with our government's ignorance to the true problem with truck parking. Their now going to spend taxpayer's money on a program, which any professional driver will tell you, won't work. Instead of utilizing this $11 million dollars to build additional parking facilities - increasing the number of available parking spaces - their going to develope a system which will only be accessable by drivers with specific equipment. What about the hundreds of thousands of drivers unable to access this system? This will result in addition costs to professional drivers and an increase of problems dealing with this so-called reserving of a parking spot.

Frederick (SilverSurfer) Schaffner

(This is a news section page from The American Driver. The reference of "Administrator Note" reflects directly to our site. Just wanted to make sure there's no confusion with my membership in this forum. I had just published to our site and wanted to get this info up in Bull's site also. This article just boggles my mind as to how truely ignorant our representatives are to the nature of our industry.)

[2xR]

I run I-95 through the Northeast, a lot. By 16:00hours (4:00pm) all they have to do is hang a sign on the ramp to the few truck stops there are. The sign would be cheap and easy to make, nothing fancy.
...............................NO VACANCY............................

2xR, knows 11 million bucks would buy a lot of paved parking.

[Roadmedic]

They will put all of the parking in South Carolina. They have the cheaper land prices.

[freightmaster]

One word "NASCO" !

[ronin]

Specific equipment? As mentioned by SilverSurfer? Meaning what?

[SilverSurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronin Specific equipment? As mentioned by SilverSurfer? Meaning what?

Well let's common sense this...

Exactly how would one go about providing real-time information? It will require either visual data collection, or minute-by-minute input from an individual, at each specific parking facility. This information will need to be processed, databased and provided through a service. And as with any service - you will need to be a member (which usually has a price tag,) then you would need to connect to that service (qualcomm or internet).

Now for it to operate on a real-time basis...drivers will need to invest in either a computer with gps software and hardware, a digital phone equiped with gps or have qualcomm. Any hardware to access your account will ultimately cost professional drivers money...unless you think companies are going to begin to start picking the tab up for this. I, for one, have yet to see any company not charge for services of this nature - let alone the equipment. And if you're a company driver...there better be a huge benefit to the company before they pick up the tab. Otherwise the service will be offered at a price.

Does that help clear up any confusion you may have about our government, once again, miss-managing taxpayer's dollars?

-ss-

[rebel]

How about the fact that I-5 runs thru the state that says you can't park here and idle?We'll spend 5+million to help you park in a statethat don't want you to park??WTF???

I like the vacancy/no vacancy idea. Sometimes old school makes new technology look stupid.Whoever came up with this idea spent too much time living in IT world instead of traveling cross-country.

[lunachic]

how about know motor homes, campers.ect......
don't need the b.s. either.
Do need more parking, alot more. for big trucks,
bathrooms would be nice, not everyone can water a tree.

need to find a glitch on idle law...somekind of grandfather law, after all reefer's run................

[ronin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverSurfer Well let's common sense this... Exactly how would one go about providing real-time information? It will require either visual data collection, or minute-by-minute input from an individual, at each specific parking facility. This information will need to be processed, databased and provided through a service. And as with any service - you will need to be a member (which usually has a price tag,) then you would need to connect to that service (qualcomm or internet). Now for it to operate on a real-time basis...drivers will need to invest in either a computer with gps software and hardware, a digital phone equiped with gps or have qualcomm. Any hardware to access your account will ultimately cost professional drivers money...unless you think companies are going to begin to start picking the tab up for this. I, for one, have yet to see any company not charge for services of this nature - let alone the equipment. And if you're a company driver...there better be a huge benefit to the company before they pick up the tab. Otherwise the service will be offered at a price. Does that help clear up any confusion you may have about our government, once again, miss-managing taxpayer's dollars? -ss-

As a fellow Texan, I see no need for the condescending, sarcasm-dripping tone, and the assumption that I have no common sense.

That said, I would suppose that "parking status notification" would be an optional thing, and just the main notion that many more parking spaces being available would be a great thing. Anyone who has spent time above the middle of Virginia up to New York knows that parking is nil to none.

Anything that gives us more room and less parking on the side of the road, or trying to find a Wal-Mart parking lot appears great.

[lunachic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronin As a fellow Texan, I see no need for the condescending, sarcasm-dripping tone, and the assumption that I have no common sense. That said, I would suppose that "parking status notification" would be an optional thing, and just the main notion that many more parking spaces being available would be a great thing. Anyone who has spent time above the middle of Virginia up to New York knows that parking is nil to none. Anything that gives us more room and less parking on the side of the road, or trying to find a Wal-Mart parking lot appears great.

some walmarts have been running them out.

[rebel]

I'm pretty sure the sarcasm is directed towards congress. They actually think something like this is as good a solution as pouring some asphalt If it's not stupidity it might also be a payoff from the electronic company that sells these devices. Maybe in someone's congressional district? Hmmmm

[lunachic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel I'm pretty sure the sarcasm is directed towards congress. They actually think something like this is as good a solution as pouring some asphalt If it's not stupidity it might also be a payoff from the electronic company that sells these devices. Maybe in someone's congressional district? Hmmmm

they own it or shares.........

[TN. TRUCKERS WIFE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel I'm pretty sure the sarcasm is directed towards congress. They actually think something like this is as good a solution as pouring some asphalt If it's not stupidity it might also be a payoff from the electronic company that sells these devices. Maybe in someone's congressional district? Hmmmm

I agree, that sarcasm was meant towards the government, one thing about S.S. is he is very respectful, except maybe towards the government,lol

[lunachic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TN. TRUCKERS WIFE I agree, that sarcasm was meant towards the government, one thing about S.S. is he is very respectful, except maybe towards the government,lol

Why should anyone have or show respect to our Goverment.
Look what they are doing to us.
The only one's who we must show respect is our troops,

[TN. TRUCKERS WIFE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunachic Why should anyone have or show respect to our Goverment. Look what they are doing to us. The only one's who we must show respect is our troops,

Luna honey, I totally agree, I have no respect for our government anymore, I was just saying that S.S. is not disrepectful to anyone except maybe the government, buy no they don't deserve our respect.

[SilverSurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronin As a fellow Texan, I see no need for the condescending, sarcasm-dripping tone, and the assumption that I have no common sense. That said, I would suppose that "parking status notification" would be an optional thing, and just the main notion that many more parking spaces being available would be a great thing. Anyone who has spent time above the middle of Virginia up to New York knows that parking is nil to none. Anything that gives us more room and less parking on the side of the road, or trying to find a Wal-Mart parking lot appears great.

I'm sorry Ronin...no disrespect was intended towards you personally. We have generated some attention from a few government representatives - this I know (Rebel has made his own unique impression on his reps, as well as myself and others.) I saw an opportunity to point out to those legislative assistants, and possibly a few reps - which visit Bull's site, as well as my own site - the ignorance with this particular situation.

More truck parking is what professional drivers need, especially in the northeast, this we both know and agree on. But this program has nothing to do with building additional facilities...only wasting money on a project which will not work in our industry. Now if this project was to provide a notification system prior to each truck stop exit with real-time parking availability for that exit...truely helping a driver by preventing his/her exiting when no spaces are available...this would be a good thing for the industry. A system providing information to drivers about truck stops miles away is worthless - a waste of money. And to even suggest the possible application of a reservation system regarding truck parking is just down right ridiculous. This would result in nothing but trouble.

-ss-

[lunachic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverSurfer I'm sorry Ronin...no disrespect was intended towards you personally. We have generated some attention from a few government representatives - this I know (Rebel has made his own unique impression on his reps, as well as myself and others.) I saw an opportunity to point out to those legislative assistants, and possibly a few reps - which visit Bull's site, as well as my own site - the ignorance with this particular situation. More truck parking is what professional drivers need, especially in the northeast, this we both know and agree on. But this program has nothing to do with building additional facilities...only wasting money on a project which will not work in our industry. Now if this project was to provide a notification system prior to each truck stop exit with real-time parking availability for that exit...truely helping a driver by preventing his/her exiting when no spaces are available...this would be a good thing for the industry. A system providing information to drivers about truck stops miles away is worthless - a waste of money. And to even suggest the possible application of a reservation system regarding truck parking is just down right ridiculous. This would result in nothing but trouble. -ss-

next it will be condo parking, like timeshare...lol

[SilverSurfer]

Rebel...TTW...thank you. It feels good to be part of a group of individuals which have truely taken the time to understand me. My methods may be obscure, but y'all understood what my intentions were.

Thank you,
-ss-

[SilverSurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunachic next it will be condo parking, like timeshare...lol

The sad part about this, Luna...it could very well happen...lol

-ss-

[TN. TRUCKERS WIFE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverSurfer Rebel...TTW...thank you. It feels good to be part of a group of individuals which have truely taken the time to understand me. My methods may be obscure, but y'all understood what my intentions were. Thank you, -ss-

Your quite welcome hun, your alright in my book,lol