The San Antonio City Council is set to deliberate a new ordinance that would prohibit semi truck parking on city streets overnight. This discussion took place during the Council B Session on May 15 at 2 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas.
Current Semi Truck Parking Regulations
Currently, semi trucks are banned from parking on residential roads in San Antonio. However, residents are advocating for stricter regulations, including a 1,000-foot buffer zone on commercial streets near neighborhoods.
John Wood, chairman of the Oakland Heights Homeowner’s Association, highlighted the ongoing issues caused by semi truck parking in residential areas. He believes that drivers use these spaces for free truck parking and have family members or an Uber to come to pick them up as they don’t even live in the city.
Safety Concerns Raised by Residents
Residents have raised significant safety concerns due to the presence of parked semi trucks. This was also emphasized by Wood, who discussed the trucks obstructing the view and causing hazards for cars and children walking to school.
He also raised the concern about parked trucks potentially blocking fire hydrants and mentioned the damage such trucks do to the streets they’re parked on.
Parking Challenges for Truck Drivers
There is, of course, the other side of the coin. Trucking advocates argue that the proposed ban would create significant challenges for truck drivers, who already face limited parking options in San Antonio.
At a Public Safety Committee meeting in March, David Olson, co-founder of the truck parking chain Riggy’s, shared staggering statistics from a survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, American Trucking Association, and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
According to this survey, there’s currently only one parking spot for every 11 truck drivers on the road. He also quoted the Trucker Path study that revealed that 75% of drivers have admitted to violating their DOT Hours of Service to find parking, and 96% admitted to parking illegally.
Response from the Texas Trucking Association
The Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) has responded to the proposed ordinance, expressing empathy for the City Council’s concerns but urging for a more comprehensive solution.
As stated in their press release:
“While we can empathize with the San Antonio City Council’s concerns over unauthorized or unsafe parking, continuing to ban truckers from parking in the very neighborhoods they live in is not the answer. Instead, TXTA and its member companies would like to see actions that address the problem – not just the symptoms. And this includes access to safe and secure parking for the one out of 14 citizens in Bexar County that work in the trucking industry.”
Seeking Balanced Solutions
District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez stressed the importance of finding a balanced solution. He said that while solving the truck parking problem is very important, they also need to look at this issue from the homeowners’ perspective.
One of his proposed solutions was to incentivize truckers to take their trucks out to the privately owned lots or find facilities within city limits to be able to facilitate truck parking and make it easier for drivers.
John Wood echoed this sentiment, expressing support for the trucking industry while advocating for safer parking solutions:
Next Steps
If the ordinance is approved, it will proceed to the city council for a final vote in the coming months. One thing is for certain. The outcome of this decision will have significant implications for both residents and truck drivers in San Antonio.
For now, truckers seeking available parking in San Antonio and Texas can find it through Truck Parking Club. Browse our available Texas truck parking facilities and seamlessly book your spot using our app.
Link to the full article: https://cdllife.com/2024/san-antonio-to-discuss-displacing-1000s-of-trucks-with-parking-ban/
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