The American Trucking Associations (ATA) applauds US Rep Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for introducing legislation HR 2156 in the House and S.971 in the Senate titled “Jason’s Law.” This legislation would implement a pilot program to address shortages in safe parking for commercial motor vehicles on the National Highway System.
“ATA supports this critical legislation and urges quick action in Congress,” said Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer. “The parking shortage for commercial motor vehicles comprises the safety of drivers out on the road and requires a comprehensive solution involving all interested parties.”
Named after slain New York truck driver Jason Rivenburg, this legislation allows the US secretary of transportation, in cooperation with appropriate state, regional, and local governments, to allocate funds to improve rest areas that serve the National Highway System. Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, “Jason’s Law” would provide grants for these initiatives:
•Constructing safety rest areas that include parking for commercial motor vehicles.
•Constructing commercial motor vehicle parking facilities adjacent to commercial truckstops and travel plazas.
•Opening existing facilities to commercial motor vehicle parking, including inspection and weigh stations and park-and-ride facilities.
•Promoting publicly or privately provided commercial motor vehicle parking on the National Highway System using intelligent transportation systems and other means.
•Constructing turnouts along the National Highway System for commercial motor vehicles.
•Making capital improvements to public commercial motor vehicle parking facilities currently closed on a seasonal basis.
•Improving the geometric design of interchanges on the National Highway System to improve access to commercial motor vehicle parking facilities.
Jason Rivenburg was shot to death in a March 5 robbery at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina, where he was to deliver a load of milk. He had parked there because of a lack of adequate parking for commercial motor vehicles.
Creation of more long-term truck parking has been a longstanding issue within the trucking industry and was an ATA Safety Task Force Report recommendation released in 2008.
