Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared that this funding round will support 44 initiatives aimed at enhancing safety, mobility, and economic growth. These projects encompass tasks such as bridge construction, port capacity expansion, and interchange redesigns.

Highlighted below are some key truck parking projects benefiting from this funding:

• Ohio Truck Parking Expansion Project: Allocated $17.9 million to repurpose two closed rest areas in Trumbull and Preble Counties into new truck parking facilities. The I-70 eastbound site near New Paris will offer 100 parking spaces, while the I-80 eastbound near Hubbard will provide 38 spaces. These will feature video surveillance and integrate with the Truck Parking Information Management System for real-time updates.
• I-43 Safety Rest Areas and Truck Parking Expansions, Wisconsin: With a $12.5 million investment, this project will revamp Rest Area 51 Maribel and Rest Area 52 Denmark facilities in Manitowoc County. Enhancements include new buildings, maintenance garages, and an increase of 72 truck parking spaces. The project also involves lighting updates, roadway reconstruction, and pavement improvements, aligning with the state’s Truck Parking Information Management System.
• I-80 East Lane Addition and Shoulder Widening, Nevada: This $275 million endeavor in Washoe County will widen I-80 between Vista Boulevard and USA Parkway, adding a lane each way, shoulder expansions, and 50 new truck parking spots.

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, expressed gratitude for the funding, stating, “Lack of safe truck parking has been a top concern of truckers for decades, and as a truck driver, I can tell you firsthand that when truckers don’t have a safe place to park, we are put in a no-win situation. We must either continue to drive while fatigued or out of legal driving time, or park in an undesignated and unsafe location like the side of the road or abandoned lot. It forces truck drivers to make a choice between safety and following federal Hours-of-Service rules. OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent thank Secretary Buttigieg and the Department for their increased focus on resolving an issue that has plagued our industry for decades.”

Source: Truckers News

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted the dual focus of this initiative, stating, “Two of our Department’s top priorities are improving safety on our roadways and strengthening supply chains, and today’s awards will help with both.”

Here’s a breakdown of the FMCSA’s grant allocations:

• $88 Million in High Priority Grants: This initiative includes the HP-Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) grants and the HP-Innovative Technology Deployment (ITD) grants. The HP-CMV grants are designed to bolster state-level commercial vehicle safety measures. Meanwhile, the HP-ITD grants aim to enhance states’ technological capabilities through intelligent transportation systems for CMV operations. Full details on this year’s recipients for both HP-CMV and HP-ITD grants can be found here.

• $55 Million Dedicated to CDL Program Enhancement: This funding targets the improvement of state CDL programs by mitigating wait times, ensuring efficient data exchange for convictions and disqualifications, adhering to regulatory standards, combating human trafficking, and meeting FMCSA compliance standards for driver’s license protocols. Additionally, the CDLPI grants support entities engaged in national projects that assist states in meeting compliance requirements, thereby refining the overall national CDL program. A comprehensive list of this year’s CDLPI grant beneficiaries is available here.

In summary, more than half of the FMCSA’s annual budget is directed towards empowering states and local communities to enhance commercial motor vehicle safety.

Source: Truckers News

Image: Progressive

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Passenger vehicles, however, have not received this same level of training or skillset. FMCSA’s Our Roads, Our Safety Week is part of the measure to help combat that and make the roads safer for professional drivers. This week, committed to driver safety, started on Sunday, May 5, and extends through Saturday, May 11, consistently emphasizing education on safely navigating around semi trucks and other large vehicles.

“Our Roads, Our Safety Week is a national, annual safety observance dedicated to raising awareness on how to share the road safely with large trucks and buses,” FMCSA wrote. “Together with the larger safety community, FMCSA is committed to sharing safety tips, resources, and materials that help improve road safety and reach zero roadway deaths.”

In 2022, nearly 6,000 fatalities resulted from accidents involving large trucks. It’s important to note that truck drivers are not frequently cited or found at fault in these tragic incidents. FMCSA’s data from 2021 indicated that over 90% of truckers involved in fatal crashes did not receive moving violations.

Furthermore, a 2017 report by the Ohio Department of Transportation revealed that truckers were not at fault in 75% of fatal crashes. In-depth studies from the University of Michigan, NHTSA, AAA, and FMCSA have consistently shown that passenger vehicle drivers were significantly more often assigned driving factors in fatal crashes involving large trucks than truck drivers due to a lack of understanding of the specific safety measures that need to be taken around semis.

“Large trucks and buses maneuver differently than other vehicles, and it’s critical we know how to operate around them safely,” FMCSA wrote.

Our Roads, Our Safety Week is critical in educating passenger vehicles on these measures and preventing further accidents.

“Everyone on the road has a role to play,” said Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. “Let’s take this week to remind ourselves and our loved ones that large trucks and buses have huge blind spots, make wide turns, and take longer to stop than passenger vehicles. We all share the road. Let’s renew our commitment to do it safely.”

Source: Land Line

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