We Need Your Input

NJDOT has designed two specific surveys to gather your experiences and suggestions:

1. Short-Haul Drivers: For those who park in New Jersey for staging or daytime breaks.
2. Long-Haul Drivers: For those who require overnight parking in New Jersey.

Why Your Feedback Matters

• Short-Haul Drivers: Your responses will help us improve the availability, safety, and convenience of staging and daytime parking areas.

• Long-Haul Drivers: Your feedback is essential for developing better and more accessible overnight parking facilities.

Industry participants are also encouraged to contribute. All responses are anonymous.

Participate Now

Visit bit.ly/njtruckparkingsurvey to participate in one or both surveys. Please share your valuable feedback by June 16.

Source: Truckers News

The post Help Improve Truck Parking in New Jersey appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

Minnesota

Minnesota has approved funding to boost truck parking facilities. As part of a large spending bill signed by Governor Tim Walz, $7.75 million is allocated in fiscal year 2025 for the construction and expansion of truck parking along Interstate 94, particularly at the Big Spunk Lake Rest Area in Avon and the Enfield Rest Area. Additionally, $4.8 million is designated for truck parking safety projects within the Minneapolis and St. Paul area to help drivers who are close to their driving limits. A report from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) echoes this need, recommending that MnDOT consider both internal and external funding sources for truck parking improvements. Currently, MnDOT provides 677 truck parking spaces at 51 rest area locations across the state.

Georgia

Following Minnesota’s lead, Georgia has made strides on the same issue. A new law mandates a statewide plan for freight and logistics that includes truck parking as a key component. This 20-year plan, with annual progress updates, focuses on widening highways, improving intermodal capacities, and enhancing truck parking and safety. This legislation stems from a Senate study committee formed to explore how trucking impacts the economy and supply chains. Recommendations include collaborating with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to expand truck parking and curb unauthorized truck parking. The law highlights the importance of safe and efficient freight movement to Georgia’s economy and future growth.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, a proposed Senate bill seeks to ensure that new warehouse developments include sufficient truck parking. Bill A3370, introduced by Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, requires large warehouses to provide enough onsite parking to prevent trucks from parking inappropriately on local properties or rights-of-way during night hours. Municipalities would have the authority to adjust the required number of parking spaces through zoning ordinances. Introduced in February, the bill is under review by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee. Concurrently, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is soliciting feedback from truck drivers on improving truck parking, with an open comment period until June 16.

New York

New York has proposed several bills focusing on truck parking. One bill, S518, proposes a $1,000 fine for semi-trailers or trailers left parked or unattended on New York City streets. The current fine is a $160 towing fee, which many consider insufficient to deter illegal parking.

Source: Land Line

The post New Legislation Targets Truck Parking in Several States appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

Understanding the Issue

New Jersey, which hosts the nation’s top freight bottleneck in Fort Lee, aims to understand and address truck parking challenges by collecting data and gaining insights from industry stakeholders.

The surveys differ slightly for each driver group but commonly ask drivers to rate potential solutions such as facility expansion, new technology, increased street parking, paid parking options, and delivery hours adjustments.

Truck parking shortages are a nationwide problem, with an estimated one spot available for every 11 trucks on the road. This issue has drawn significant investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, although local government restrictions and stalled federal funding have hindered progress.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation encourages all truck drivers to participate in the survey to help shape effective solutions to these pressing issues.

Source: Trucking Dive

The post Summary: Truck Parking Feedback Wanted in New Jersey appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently signed a bill into law that modernizes the state’s approach to the 85th-percentile speed rule. Sponsored by Rep. Bradley Slagh, the legislation offers the state more flexibility in rounding down the 85th-percentile speed when appropriate.

Under this new law, local officials gain authority to set speed limits within 5 mph of the 85th percentile, rounded to any multiple of 5 mph. This change allows for greater adaptability, as illustrated by Slagh’s example of setting a speed limit at 35 mph on a road with an average speed of 37.6 mph, instead of the previously mandated increase to 40 mph.

Additionally, the bill removes the requirement for local governments to conduct an engineering and safety study to adjust speed limits. Instead, modifications can now be based on traffic engineering practices, ensuring a more objective analysis of highway characteristics.

Furthermore, the law permits speed limits to be set below the 85th percentile if an engineering and safety study identifies hazards to public safety not reflected by the 85th percentile speed, with a minimum threshold set at the 50th percentile speed.

New Jersey is also considering changes to speed limit regulations. Senator Declan O’Scanlon’s bill, S1652, seeks to implement the 85th-percentile formula for setting speed limits on limited-access highways like the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

He said a change could result in “the smoothest, safest level of traffic flow and inflict the least amount of arbitrary punishment on people behaving reasonably.”

If passed, this legislation would empower state traffic agencies to utilize 85th-percentile studies to establish speed limits, ensuring a data-driven approach.

O’Scanlon asserts that adopting this formula represents a superior method for determining speed limits compared to relying on subjective decisions from politicians and officials. The bill is currently under review by the Senate Transportation Committee, suggesting a potential shift towards evidence-based speed limit regulations in New Jersey.

Source: Land Line

The post Speed Limit Rules Revised in Michigan, New Jersey appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

In Indiana, there is a notable speed limit differential for cars and trucks, with cars allowed to travel at 70 mph on major roadways, while vehicles weighing over 26,000 pounds are limited to 65 mph. Efforts to eliminate this speed limit disparity in rural areas have been ongoing, as demonstrated by Rep. Mike Aylesworth’s pursuit with bill HB1055.

He feels a rule revision is necessary in Indiana “to correct a law that is flawed in nature and does nothing to improve highway safety.”

Despite consideration in the House Roads and Transportation Committee, the bill did not progress to a vote, facing opposition from the Indiana Motor Truck Association. Supporters argue that uniform speed limits enhance traffic flow, referencing a study by the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University indicating a potential 20% reduction in crash frequencies with uniform 70 mph speed limits.

Maryland, too, is undergoing potential changes to speed limit rules. A bill, HB278, aims to empower the Maryland State Highway Administration to decrease maximum speeds by 5 mph on urban state highways without necessitating a traffic or engineering study. The bill, approved by House lawmakers, is set to proceed to the Senate Judicial Proceedings.

In Michigan, the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has advanced HB4012, addressing perceived flaws in how the state establishes local roadway speed limits. Sponsored by Rep. Bradley Slagh, the bill aims to provide flexibility in applying the 85th percentile speed rule, allowing the rounding down of speeds when necessary. The legislation seeks to eliminate the requirement for an engineering and safety study, relying on traffic engineering practices for objective analysis. The bill awaits further consideration on the Senate floor.

In New Jersey, Sen. Declan O’Scanlon sponsors S1652, a bill proposing the use of the 85th percentile formula to set speed limits on limited access highways.

“[The change would result in] the smoothest, safest level of traffic flow and inflict the least amount of arbitrary punishment on people behaving reasonably,” he said.

This approach, if approved, would allow the New Jersey Department of Transportation and other state traffic agencies to employ studies for determining speed limits.

New York is also in the midst of potential speed limit changes. Bills in the Assembly and Senate propose raising the speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on interstate highways and other limited access roads, aligning New York with the speeds permitted in many other states.

“The majority of states across the country have state speed limits that exceed 65 mph,” said Tom O’Mara, New York. “New York has failed to keep up with the rest of the country by not adopting a more efficient speed limit. … [My bill] would correct this inefficacy by allowing for a 70 mph speed limit where appropriate.”

Lastly, in Oklahoma, Rep. Ross Ford sponsors HB3894, which seeks to implement a 65 mph minimum speed limit on rural interstate highways, where current speed limits are set at 75 mph, and on Oklahoma turnpikes, where speeds are set at 80 mph.

Source: Land Line

The post Speed Limits Could Change in Some States appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

In Michigan, House Bill 4012 aims to address perceived “flaws” in how local roadway speed limits are set. The bill proposes flexibility in rounding down the 85th percentile speed, allowing local officials to set speeds within 5 mph of the 85th percentile. It also eliminates the requirement for an engineering and safety study for speed limit modifications.

New Jersey’s Senate Bill 1652, sponsored by Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, focuses on using the 85th percentile formula to set speed limits on limited access highways. O’Scanlon believes this formula offers a more objective approach than relying on subjective decisions from officials.

In New York, identical bills (S2209 and A5044) propose increasing the speed limit for all vehicles from 65 mph to 70 mph on interstate highways and limited access roads. The change aims to align New York with the speed limits of many other states.

North Carolina’s House Bill 386, carried over from the previous session, seeks to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on certain roadways, provided it is deemed “reasonable and safe” by the state DOT.

Over the past year, Montana and Texas have revised speed limit rules. Montana’s Transportation Commission gained full authority to adjust speed limits throughout the state, while Texas authorized variable speed limits based on engineering and traffic investigations to address specific conditions affecting traffic flow.

As states continue to explore speed limit adjustments, these legislative efforts aim to strike a balance between traffic safety and the evolving dynamics of modern roadways.

Source: Land Line

The post New Speed Limit Rules Enacted in 6 U.S. States appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.