The Greenwood, Indiana, police department changed its routine of knocking on cab doors and asking truckers to park elsewhere. Now, weary drivers with no legitimate space to sleep for the night receive tickets for parking on the shoulder of even underused Interstate 65 ramps.
“If you travel at night or early in the morning, it’s everywhere. You see it everywhere,” Greenwood Police Officer Jason Grable reportedly said. “As of tomorrow morning, citations will be issued, and it’s going to be hitting their pocketbooks.”
The municipality reportedly has an ordinance on the books prohibiting vehicles from parking on or near interstate ramps. A fine of $150 is now being assessed to truck drivers who previously received a courtesy warning when police determined a semi was located in a risky spot along the shoulder. Greenwood PD plans to focus its efforts on the Main Street and Worthsville Road exits.
The men and women hauling freight through Greenwood seem to agree the situation is not optimal. Despite the federal government spending $1.2 trillion on infrastructure, safe overnight parking hasn’t received its fair share of taxpayer dollars. Advocacy organizations such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) continue to press Washington, D.C., lawmakers to improve freight transportation conditions. Although little resistance to additional truck parking exists, it’s been something of an uphill battle to drag a $755 million appropriation across the finish line.
“It’s interesting because truck parking and this bill is not an issue where there’s any opposition on Capitol Hill, and that’s unique among trucking issues. The biggest challenge is getting this issue to the top of lawmakers’ priority list and getting them to dedicate the time and political capital to moving it forward,” the OOIDA’s Bryce Mongeon reportedly said.
Tiffany Wlazlowksi Neuman, representing the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, noted: “When a local community does not want truck parking, they will fight it tooth and nail.”
Such is now the case in Greenwood, with truckers stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Like many areas across the country, I-65 lacks the number of overnight parking spaces needed to accommodate truckers. Some estimates indicate there is only one legal spot available for every 11 rigs hauling cargo on any given day.
The Hoosier State added 225 rest area spaces along the interstate, but not necessarily in the Greenwood area. Officials also announced plans to add 1,122 spaces, which would nearly double its 1,402 spots. Until enough viable truck parking spaces are created, truckers would be well-served to avoid Greenwood ramps.
Sources:
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-parking-expansion-money-still-elusive-on-capitol-hill
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