Residents in Baltimore County, Marlyand, have rallied council members to take action regarding the lack of adequate truck parking that’s forcing tractor trailers to park on local roads. So they did.
Their solution? Increase fines for truckers parking on residential roads by 500%
The ruling came as a response to complaints of semi trucks taking up space in residential areas near I-70, the I-83 corridor and the Baltimore Beltway.
On Tuesday, the association voted unanimously to increase penalties to a hefty $250-$500 per misdemeanor violation. According to The Baltimore Sun, the steepened fine is five times higher than it was before.
In addition to the already-established police enforcement, permission will also be given to the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections to tow violating trucks.
Councilman and sponsor of the bill, Tom Quirk, argued that the lesser fines were not incentive enough to stop truck drivers from stopping along roads to rest.
But what the city council failed to acknowledge is the staggering lack of available truck parking spaces, specifically along Interstates 70, 83, and 95.
According to Louis Campion, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, raising fines will not fix the issue. “All that does is push it down from one area and force it to another area. The solution needs to be far more comprehensive than expanding fines and penalties,” he said.
