TRUCK PARKING INITIATIVE GRANT APPLICATIONS

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is now soliciting grant applications from the States for the Truck Parking Facilities Grant Program, which was established through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), P.L. 109-59, Section 1305. Applications are due February 14, 2008.

The FHWA solicited proposals for the Truck Parking program in FY 2006 and FY 2007 in March 2007. After reviewing the proposals, the FHWA Administrator decided that the best approach to implementing this program and the approach that will provide the most comprehensive and best return on investment is to apply this program on a corridor-wide basis. Many of the FY 2006 and FY 2007 proposals were meritorious. However, choosing from among those proposals using fiscal year funds one year at a time would have resulted in spot relief at isolated locations across the Interstate System. Applying the full measure of this program's funds to a congested corridor focuses the program's limited resources where deployment provides a mechanism to potentially solve long-term commercial motor vehicle parking for trucks moving their goods to market along a trade corridor.

In lieu of funding any of the FY 2006 or FY 2007 proposals individually, FHWA will give priority consideration to applications for Truck Parking projects that have measurable safety, congestion reduction, and air quality benefits from those States, MPO's and local governments that are located within the Corridors of the Future. These States have already proposed congestion mitigation and safety plans for accommodating freight traffic through their corridors, and have been selected as candidates to implement those plans. The focus is on corridors and multi-State participation.

A Federal Register Notice, explaining this in more detail was published on Friday, November 16, 2007. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Michael Onder at 202-366-2639, or by e-mail at michael.onder@dot.gov.