Estimation of the demand for commercial truck parking on interstate highways in Virginia

Wang, Hua; Garber, Nicholas J. · 2003 · ROSA P / Pennsylvania Transportation Institute

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Summary

This study addresses the critical shortage of commercial truck parking on Virginia’s Interstate and primary highways, a problem linked to driver fatigue, unsafe parking practices on shoulders and ramps, and pavement deterioration. Motivated by the inadequacy of existing national models—which often ignored private truck stops or failed to account for Virginia’s specific two-hour parking restrictions at rest areas—the research aimed to develop a localized methodology for estimating parking supply and demand. The study sought to quantify current shortfalls and forecast future deficits for the years 2010 and 2020 to inform infrastructure planning. The research employed a two-phase design. Phase I established a methodology using Interstate-81 as a case study, while Phase II expanded the analysis to other major corridors, including I-64, I-66, I-77, I-85, I-95, and US 29. Data collection involved extensive field observations of parking accumulation and duration, inventories of 41 public rest areas and 54 private truck stops (those with at least 15 overnight spaces), and mainline traffic data. Additionally, surveys were conducted with truck drivers and truck stop managers to gather insights on usage patterns and facility characteristics. The researchers developed regression models to relate parking accumulation to independent variables such as traffic volume, truck percentage, parking duration, and distance to facilities. These models were tested for applicability across different highways and calibrated where necessary. The findings revealed significant discrepancies between available parking spaces and actual demand. The study identified that over 80% of commercial truck parking spaces are provided by private organizations, yet many existing models failed to adequately capture this dynamic. The developed models successfully estimated parking accumulation and were used to project demand for 2010 and 2020. The analysis determined specific deficiencies in parking supply for each truck stop and the highway system as a whole. The results highlighted that the lack of adequate parking, particularly during late evenings and early mornings, forces drivers into illegal parking situations, exacerbating safety risks. The study also provided cost estimates for eliminating these shortfalls, offering a financial roadmap for potential infrastructure improvements. The significance of this work lies in its provision of a validated, localized framework for assessing truck parking needs, which can be applied by decision-makers to address safety and infrastructure gaps. By distinguishing between public rest areas and private truck stops and accounting for Virginia’s unique regulatory environment, the study offers more accurate predictions than previous national assessments. The conclusions emphasize the need for targeted investments in parking facilities to mitigate fatigue-related crashes and illegal parking. The recommendations support the development of a real-time parking information system for drivers and advocate for public-private partnerships to expand capacity, thereby enhancing highway safety and operational efficiency.

Key finding

The study identified significant deficiencies in commercial truck parking supply across Virginia's highway system, with demand exceeding available spaces and necessitating costly infrastructure expansion to meet projected needs in 2010 and 2020.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• truck driver fatigue