MDOT unveils I-94 Truck Parking Information and Management System
Michigan DOT sent this bulletin at 09/03/2014 11:00 AM EDT
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014
CONTACT: CONTACT: Nick Schirripa, MDOT Office of Communications, 269-337-3927
MDOT unveils I-94 Truck Parking Information and Management System
Fast Facts:
- Truck Parking Information and Management System (TPIMS) delivers real-time parking availability information to truck drivers along the I-94 corridor.
- Commercial traffic accounts for 23 to 30 percent of all traffic on I-94 in southwest Michigan, some of the highest commercial volumes in all of the Midwest.
- Drivers will be notified through dynamic roadside truck parking signs, websites, smartphone apps, and connected vehicle equipment.
September 3, 2014 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has activated the 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 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Truck Parking Facilities Discretionary Grants Program.
I-94 in southwest Michigan carries some of the highest commercial volumes in all of the Midwest. Trucks account for approximately 23 to 30 percent of all traffic in the corridor, making it the highest concentration of commercial vehicles on interstate highways in Michigan. Truck parking is a major safety concern along the I-94 corridor. 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, MDOT's Mi Drive traffic information website (www.michigan.gov/drive), Truck Smart Parking Services website and smartphone applications (www.trucksmartparkingservices.com), and 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.
For more information on the TPIMS project and how to access the truck parking availability information, watch MDOT's video news release at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC-4SUR0ZM8.
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