The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act would add a competitive grant program to title 23 of the U.S. Code to fund projects that increase public parking for commercial motor vehicles and improve driver safety. It directs the Secretary of Transportation to award grants to eligible entities to build new CMV parking, expand existing facilities, reopen unused public facilities, and improve parking safety and management, including the use of intelligent transportation systems.
The bill also requires periodic surveys to assess parking availability and the effectiveness of funded projects, and authorizes annual funding of $151 million for 2025–2029 to support these efforts.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill creates a new grant program (Section 180) to finance CMV parking projects near Federal-aid highways or facilities with access to those highways. Grants go to eligible public entities, may involve private partners, and cover construction, expansion, and related improvements.
Who It Affects
States, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, tribal governments, and multi-state groups can apply; CMV drivers, trucking companies, and freight facilities benefit from increased parking access.
Why It Matters
Parking shortages for commercial vehicles affect highway safety, freight efficiency, and air quality. By prioritizing geographic dispersion and stakeholder consultations, the bill aims to reduce parking bottlenecks and improve logistics across the country.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill would add a new Section 180 to Chapter 1 of title 23, authorizing the Department of Transportation to make competitive grants for projects that provide public CMV parking and improve driver safety. Eligible recipients include States, MPOs, local governments, tribal governments, or consortia, and they may partner with private entities to carry out eligible projects.
Projects include building new safety rest areas with CMV parking, expanding parking near truck stops or freight facilities, reopening idle weigh stations or government-owned parking facilities, improving existing facilities, identifying and promoting available CMV parking, improving driver safety at parking sites, and upgrading parking facilities with truck stop electrification where appropriate.
Grants can be used for planning and preconstruction activities (up to 25% of a grant) and for construction and operational improvements. There are caps on financing for certain activities: most preconstruction funds are limited, and using grants for charging or fueling infrastructure is prohibited (with limited savings language).
Projects must be accessible to all CMV drivers and may not charge parking access fees. The program also emphasizes sustainability and maintenance of funded facilities, requires a transparent application process, and aims to maximize geographic dispersion of new CMV parking capacity across the U.S.A formal evaluation and comparative assessment must be conducted four years after enactment and every two years thereafter, assessing parking availability, project effectiveness, facility sustainability, and progress toward providing adequate CMV parking.
An annual authorization of $151 million is set for 2025–2029 to fund these projects.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The Secretary may award competitive grants for CMV parking projects to eligible public entities or consortia, with private partners allowed.
Eligible projects include constructing or expanding CMV parking, reopening unused facilities, and improving safety and management at parking sites.
Not more than 25% of a grant may be used for planning and preconstruction activities; existing facility projects face a 10% cap on grant funding unless part of a broader expansion.
Parking facilities funded by grants must be publicly accessible to all CMV drivers and may not charge access fees.
$151,000,000 is authorized for each fiscal year 2025–2029 to fund the program, with funds treated as federal-aid highway projects.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Sense of Congress
The bill declares that addressing the shortage of commercial motor vehicle parking on the Federal-aid highway system is a national priority and tied to highway safety. This establishes the policy context that justifies the grant program and its emphasis on safety outcomes and parking availability.
Definitions
Defines a commercial motor vehicle by reference to the 49 CFR standard and defines safety rest area. These definitions ensure consistent interpretation of who and what qualifies for grants and parking facilities.
Grant Authority
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make competitive grants for projects that provide public CMV parking and improve driver safety, contingent on available funds. This creates the core funding mechanism for the program.
Eligible Entities
Lists eligible recipients: States, MPOs, units of local government, political subdivisions related to CMV parking, Tribal governments or consortia, and multistate groups. It also allows private-sector partnerships to carry out eligible projects, enabling cross-sector collaboration.
Eligible Projects
Specifies project categories: new or expanded CMV parking, safety rest areas, reopened weigh stations, improvements to existing parking facilities, parking identification and management via ITS, safety enhancements, and truck stop electrification where applicable.
Use of Funds
Details eligible uses: planning and preconstruction activities (up to 25%), construction and operational improvements, with specific restrictions on financing charging or fueling infrastructure for propelled vehicles. Existing facility projects receive a capped share unless part of an expansion.
Requirements for Parking
Projects funded must be publicly accessible to all CMV drivers and may not charge access fees, ensuring nondiscriminatory access and fair use of publicly funded parking.
Survey and Comparative Assessment
Requires a bidirectional, periodic assessment of CMV parking availability and project effectiveness, engaging stakeholders such as state motor carrier safety personnel, motor carriers, DOTs, and private parking providers, with results published publicly.
Authorization of Appropriations
States the program is funded at $151 million per fiscal year from 2025 through 2029, establishing the financial baseline for the grant program and its scalability over the five-year window.
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Explore Transportation in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- States and metro planning organizations gain grant funding and authority to develop or expand CMV parking near major freight corridors, potentially relieving bottlenecks that slow freight movement.
- Truck drivers and fleets benefit from increased, accessible parking spaces and safer, rest-friendly facilities.
- Public safety officials and local communities benefit from enhanced safety outcomes and more predictable freight movement along highways.
- Port authorities and freight facilities gain improved access to parking infrastructure that supports efficient cargo handling and movement.
- Private parking operators that partner with public entities can participate in projects to upgrade or expand facilities, sharing in capital improvements and potential utilization gains.
- State DOTs benefit from consolidated, federally supported funding streams and performance tracking through the mandated assessments.
Who Bears the Cost
- Federal government bears the cost of program funding, through annual appropriations, which in turn are passed to grant recipients.
- State and local governments may incur ongoing maintenance and operation costs for new or expanded facilities funded by the program.
- Private partners that participate in projects may contribute capital and incur ongoing operating costs as part of joint projects.
- Taxpayers bear the indirect cost of funding, oversight, and accountability measures associated with the program’s execution.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is between providing rapid, widely dispersed CMV parking through a finite, federally funded grant program and ensuring quality, sustainable facilities that drivers can access without fees. Expanding capacity across many corridors may dilute resources or slow complex projects, while concentrating funding in a few high-demand areas could exacerbate disparities in parking access.
The bill creates a sizable grant program to address CMV parking shortages, but it also raises practical questions. How will funds be allocated to maximize geographic dispersion without sacrificing project quality or rapid implementation?
The 25% cap on planning and preconstruction could slow early-stage projects that require environmental reviews or complex design. Prohibiting charging fees at funded facilities protects drivers but raises questions about long-term maintenance funding—will grant terms include sufficient provisions to sustain facilities after construction?
The requirement for universal accessibility is sound, but it will need clear accessibility standards and robust enforcement, especially in rural areas with few alternative parking options. Finally, the alignment with broader freight planning (like state freight plans) will require ongoing coordination across agencies and jurisdictions to ensure consistency and avoid duplication of efforts.
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