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MAP-21 Truck Parking

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century law (MAP-21; P.L. 112-141) (MAP-21) established eligibility for truck parking funding under different programs placed focus on truck parking analysis and measurement under Jason's Law. The activities previously eligible for funding under SAFETEA-LU programs became eligible for funds under the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP), the Surface Transportation Program, and the Highway Safety Improvement Program. This re-alignment provides increased opportunity and flexibility to fund truck parking projects.

The large-scale, ITS-based truck parking projects funded through the SAFETEA-LU are also being considered for inclusion in the "Smart Roadside Initiative" (SRI) prototype application project, jointly sponsored by FHWA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The SRI prototype will be able to interface with these systems to make information available very efficiently to truck drivers in need of rest in order to maintain compliance with their HOS requirements. The SRI prototype is currently in the system design phase.

In MAP-21, "Jason's Law" was established to provide a "national priority on addressing the shortage of long-term parking for commercial motor vehicles on the National Highway System (NHS) to improve the safety of motorized and non-motorized users and for commercial motor vehicle operators." Specifically, Jason's Law requires the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a survey and comparative assessment in consultation with relevant State motor carrier representatives to:

  1. Evaluate the capability of [each] State to provide adequate parking and rest facilities for commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate transportation;
  2. Assess the volume of commercial motor vehicle traffic in [each] State; and
  3. Develop a system of metrics to measure the adequacy of commercial motor vehicle parking facilities in [each] State.

The results of the Jason's Law survey are available on this page via the links below. Even without the statutory requirements, the issue of truck parking has long been a priority for DOT and its operating administrations. Jason's Law helps to advance a more comprehensive set of programs, efforts, and research to improve truck parking and provide States and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) with resources to identify parking needs and to encourage improvements and investments.

MAP-21 Section 1401
SAFETEA-LU Section §1401

Staff Contact

Jeff Purdy
202-366-6993
Jeff Purdy

Thomas Kearney
Truck Parking Project Manager
518-431-8890
Tom.Kearney@dot.gov

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