MDOT unveils I-94 truck parking information and management system

The 1688 Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has launched its I-94 truck parking information and management system (TPIMS), a system that assesses truck parking availability along the I-94 corridor in southwest Michigan and delivers real-time parking availability information to truck drivers. The project is federally funded under the 831 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Truck Parking Facilities Discretionary Grants Program.

Trucks account for approximately 23 to 30 per cent of all traffic on I-94 in southwest Michigan, making it the highest concentration of commercial vehicles on interstate highways in Michigan. Truck parking is a major safety concern; commercial truck drivers routinely park on rest area entrance and exit ramps, in designated car parking areas, and on interstate entrance and exit ramps. Meanwhile, a significant percentage of truck parking spaces at private parking facilities are empty or under-used. The goal of TPIMS is to identify available parking and share that information with commercial vehicle operators.

MDOT is using a number of high-tech methods of sharing parking availability information, including dynamic roadside truck parking signs, its Mi Drive traffic information website, Truck Smart Parking Services website and smartphone applications as well as a fleet of pilot trucks equipped with on-board connected vehicle equipment.

With any intelligent transportation system, driver distraction is a major consideration and was a critical focus when designing all aspects of the project. Features like text-to-speech were implemented in smartphone and connected vehicle applications to reduce driver distraction and improve safety.