BACKGROUND
 
Freight demand continues to grow alongside population and economic growth. With the majority of freight goods being moved by trucks, industrial and residential developments are generating more truck trips and parking demand than local infrastructure can handle. Truck drivers need parking to rest, stage, and store their trucks in order to operate in the communities they serve. Truck parking and staging often conflicts with land use in densely populated areas that are often covered by local ordinances that may not reflect current parking and staging demand. Effective local truck and trailer (all types) parking ordinances help keep truckers and other drivers safe, improve highway performance, reduce road maintenance costs, support economic growth, and promote community health and livability.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this project are to (1) examine how and why local municipality, county, and metropolitan planning organizations’ (MPOs) truck staging and/or long-term and short-term parking policy decisions are made; (2) identify gaps and opportunities in truck parking and staging regulations; and (3) develop a guide that includes a range of model truck parking and staging ordinances, rules, and regulations suitable for consideration and adoption by local municipalities.

RESEARCH PLAN

The research plan should (1) include a kick-off teleconference with the research team and NCHRP convened within 1 month of the contract’s execution; (2) address how the proposer intends to satisfy the project objectives; (3) be divided logically into detailed tasks necessary to fulfill the research objective and include appropriate milestones and interim deliverables; and (4) incorporate opportunities for the project panel to review, comment on, and approve milestone deliverables.

In developing the research approach, consideration should be given, but not limited to the following concepts:

• Cities, counties, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have varied roles in identifying solutions to truck parking issues and may be the primary beneficiaries of solutions;
• Truck parking decisions are often influenced by both private sector and public sector decisions;
• Public and private truck stop parking spaces, and cargo origin/destinations that are available;
• The role of on-and-off-street truck parking ordinances may conflict with land use ordinances;
• Truck parking enforcement varies by jurisdiction;
• Truck classification and purpose/length of the trip may influence truck and trailer (all types) parking regulations;
• Public and private sector opportunities for collaboration may include new technologies or data sharing;
• Seasonal, day of the week, and time of day variations influence truck parking ordinances;
• Business operations resilience is needed amid disruptive events;
• Emerging technologies influence truck parking compliance (e.g., truck electric charging station needs, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), truck parking information management system(s) (TPIMS), connected and automated vehicles (CAV), and truck platooning); and
• Unique truck service needs in respective geographical regions must be addressed.

Accomplishment of the project objective(s) will require at least the following tasks.

PHASE I
 
Task 1. Conduct a literature review of local government truck parking policy. 

Task 2. Conduct a state of practice review of truck parking policy decision-making processes developed in response to local truck parking issues. This may include a survey and/or interviews taken from a local perspective and include government officials, community representatives, truck drivers, and business owners. Gather information such as available data, effective technologies and materials used to support solutions to truck parking and staging problems, business and community engagement activities, and the basis for decision-making.

Task 3. Identify and prioritize gaps and opportunities in truck parking and staging ordinances and regulations related to planning, design, land use, safety, and environmental concerns (e.g., equity, emissions, flooding, and noise) related to truck parking.

Task 4. Prepare an interim report that documents the work completed in Tasks 1 through 3. Include a detailed work plan for the work anticipated in Phase II. Following review of the interim report by the NCHRP, the research team will be required to make a presentation to the project panel.

PHASE II

Task 5. Develop case studies to showcase effective truck parking and staging ordinances and regulations, and practices based on rural and urban land uses and geographies (e.g., varied size cities, varied regions), identifying elements to include in model ordinances and regulations, and effective practices.

Task 6. Based upon the findings of Tasks 1 through 5, develop a guide for state DOTs and local government that contains case studies applicable to a variety of communities and includes alternative model language for ordinances and regulations appropriate for local jurisdictions.

Task 7.  Prepare materials for outreach and engagement by state and local governments and other public or private sector stakeholders. This material may include alternative model language for ordinances, rules, and regulations intended for local jurisdictions.

Task 8. Prepare final deliverables.

Final deliverables should include, at a minimum (1) a final research report documenting the entire research effort, findings, and lessons learned; (2) a guide for local truck parking ordinances, rules, and regulations; (3) materials for outreach and engagement; (4) prioritized recommendations for future research; (5) a PowerPoint presentation describing the background, objectives, research approach, findings, and conclusions; (6) a stand-alone technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see Special Note E for additional information); (7) a presentation of findings to two groups concerned with truck parking ordinances and regulation; and (8) a draft article suitable for publication in TR News (information regarding TR News publication may be found on the TRB webpage https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/info4contributors.pdf). Proposers may recommend additional deliverables to support the project objective.

STATUS: Research in progress.