New Study Says Kansas Needs Truck Parking Information System
Development of a truck parking information management system is among the recommendations of a joint Kansas Department of Transportation and Kansas Turnpike Authority study completed this spring.
The study includes four recommendations:
• Improve parking information and sharing.
• Add or improve parking assets.
• Explore creating parking improvement partnerships.
• And examine pro-parking policies for freight trucks.
A $25 million federal grant awarded this year to Kansas and seven other Midwestern states will give Kansas a jump-start on implementing the recommendation for improved parking information and sharing through the Truck Parking Information and Management System.
Through the use of electronic message signs, traveler information websites and smartphone apps, truckers in the eight-state region will be able to know in real time where safe, adequate parking is available and best meets their needs.
With a goal of improving the Kansas freight network's safety, efficiency and competitiveness, KDOT and the KTA teamed up to study the related issues and develop solutions.
Because truckers are restricted to the number of hours they can drive, they must be able to easily find parking without burning fuel and time looking for a place to safely get off the road," said Kansas Transportation Secretary and KTA Director Mike King. "And, in winter weather, it's not unusual to see lines of trucks backed up along freeway entrance and exit ramps, sometimes stretching to the actual roadway.
"This study will help us find solutions that give drivers an efficient means of finding available parking when they must get off the road," King said.
