North Las Vegas’ mayor is looking to build free parking lots for trucks making deliveries to city’s new hub of distribution centers.
As construction on a new industrial park near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway continues, large companies such as Amazon and Sephora have announced their plans to move into warehouses there. The presence of these large businesses are expected to boost the city’s economy, but will also bring with them large trucks, and an even larger problem – truck parking.
Mayor John Lee has already noticed the city’s truck stops fill up quickly, leaving truckers with no options but to park along Interstate 15 or make their way into nearby residential neighborhoods.
“We need to find a place for these big trucks to go while they are waiting their turn to drop off a delivery,” Lee said to the Review Journal.
“Sometimes they end up in places where they shouldn’t be, and we need to figure out these challenges before they become too big.”
So far, Lee has been working with the Nevada Highway Patrol, North Las Vegas Police Department, and the Nevada Truckers Association to figure out how the city can create a free, designated waiting area for tractor trailers waiting to be loaded and unloaded.
One idea the team has come up with in response to the truck parking issue is to require warehouse operators to open enough bays to accommodate all their own trucks, while simultaneously setting aside free parking space for any trucks that may be heading to a nearby facility and need a place to stay.
Another, more straightforward idea to solve the parking issue is the purchasing of some land near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the Federal Bureau of Land Management and turning it into an enormous free parking lot for truckers.
“I believe the area on Interstate 15 between Cheyenne Avenue and the 215 Beltway will one day be as busy as what you’re seeing now between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard… If you don’t get in front of growth issues now, then you will lose an opportunity,” Lee said.
While Lee has not yet settled on a plan to combat the truck parking issue, local officials and leader believe that the pre-planning is a step in the right direction.
“Truck parking conditions are tough all over the country, so finding a place to park is every trucker’s nightmare,” said Paul Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association.
“I think we’re going to see some movement on this issue soon in North Las Vegas, because no one wants our truckers to get in trouble.”
