The Florida Department of Transportation is launching a new program to help truck drivers find parking. The project will display the number of nearby safe and legal parking spots for truck drivers via road signs at first, and eventually a mobile app.
According to The St. Augustine Record, the first phase of the pilot program will be launched later this year. It utilizes sensors and cameras to monitor parking availability at rest areas and weigh stations. With the information gathered, signs will let drivers know how many vacant spots are free at such locations.
The second phase of the program will be launched in 2018. FDOT plans to use an app, among other means, to deliver information to drivers and dispatchers across Florida.
The parking information plan, which received a $10 million grant, is well on its way to helping drivers statewide. If the pilot program proves to be a success, other states may soon follow suit. This could lead to its implementation throughout the entire U.S. interstate system.
Tisha Keller, vice president of the Florida Trucking Association, said that while she supports the program, it doesn’t address the entire problem. She explained that the lack of safe parking spots along the I-4 corridor in South Florida must also be handled.
Keller continued, “It underscores the problem that there are not enough parking spots where we need them in the state.”
