(From the Office of the Ohio Governor)
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn announced details of a new plan to address the shortage of safe, accessible commercial-truck parking in Ohio by adding at least 1,400 new truck parking spaces across the state.
Following an extensive review of ODOT property, Ohio has identified 33 sites in 19 counties where long-term truck parking lots will be created or expanded, more than doubling current truck parking capacity at ODOT-maintained sites.
“As Ohio’s economy continues to grow, so do the number of trucks traveling on Ohio’s network of interstates and state routes,” said Governor DeWine. “By expanding safe, accessible places for drivers to rest, we’re supporting the people who keep our economy moving and making it safer for everyone on our roads.”
Perfectly situated within a day’s drive of 60% of the U.S. and Canadian population, Ohio is one of America’s most critical freight corridors. In 2023 alone, trucks logged 27.5 million miles on Ohio roads, and ODOT estimates that freight volume will increase 26% by 2045.
The 33 new truck parking areas will be located in Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Auglaize, Belmont, Clermont, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Henry, Lake, Mahoning, Medina, Ross, Summit, Warren, and Wyandot counties. Once complete, the American Transportation Research Institute projects that Ohio will lead the nation in the total number of long-term truck parking spaces available on state-owned property.
“Ohio’s new truck parking plan is a major step forward in improving safety for truck drivers and everyone on the road,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “These projects will make our state a national leader in total truck parking capacity—setting the standard for safety and service.”
According to the American Trucking Associations, there is one truck parking space for every 11 trucks on the road in the United States, forcing truck drivers who can’t find a spot to drive drowsy or pull over to sleep in unsafe areas such as highway shoulders and entrance/exit ramps. A total of 689 crashes were caused by drowsy semi-truck drivers in Ohio since 2015, resulting in 345 injuries and two fatalities.
DETAILS: List of 33 Truck Parking Expansion Sites
