H.R. 1659 — Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act

This section establishes a competitive grant program under the Secretary of Transportation for eligible entities to construct, expand, or improve public parking for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs)—defined as vehicles used in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,001 pounds (per 49 U.S.C. §31132)—on Federal-aid highways or facilities with reasonable access to such highways or freight facilities, including safety rest areas (as defined in 23 U.S.C. §120(c)(1)). Eligible entities include states, metropolitan planning organizations, units of local government, political subdivisions with CMV parking responsibilities, Tribal governments or consortia, and multistate or multijurisdictional groups, which may partner with private entities. Eligible projects encompass (1) constructing safety rest areas with CMV parking; (2) adding CMV parking capacity adjacent to truck stops, at freight facilities or ports, at inspection/weigh stations or park-and-ride locations, or at other suitable sites; (3) reopening closed government facilities for CMV parking; (4) capital improvements to expand existing public CMV parking; (5) identifying, promoting, and managing available parking via intelligent transportation systems; (6) enhancing driver personal safety; or (7) facility improvements such as truck stop electrification, when integrated with projects (1)-(4). (Thus, the program addresses CMV parking shortages that contribute to driver fatigue, hours-of-service violations, and unsafe parking on roadway shoulders.) Grant selection requires demonstrated parking shortages, stakeholder consultation, projected benefits to parking availability, freight movement, highway safety, congestion, or air quality, and maintenance capability, with priority for geographic dispersion. Up to 25% of grant funds may support planning and preconstruction activities; no more than 10% of annual program funds may support projects solely for identifying and managing existing parking (unless part of capacity expansion); and funds are prohibited for constructing or planning vehicle propulsion charging or fueling infrastructure.

This section directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with state motor carrier safety personnel, motor carriers, state departments of transportation, and private CMV parking providers, to submit to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, not later than 4 years after enactment and every 2 years thereafter, a report that— (1) evaluates the availability of adequate public and private parking and rest facilities for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate transportation; (2) evaluates the effectiveness of projects funded under section 180 of title 23, United States Code (i.e., CMV parking facilities grants), in improving CMV parking access; (3) evaluates grant recipients' ability to sustain operations of facilities built with those funds; and (4) reports progress in providing adequate CMV parking facilities. The section further requires the Secretary to make the reports publicly available on the Department of Transportation website and, in preparing them, to consider state CMV parking assessments under 49 U.S.C. 70202(f) (required in state freight plans) and align the reports' contents, submission, and publication with those plans.

This section authorizes appropriations of $151 million for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to the Secretary of Transportation for commercial motor vehicle parking projects under 23 U.S.C. 180 (i.e., grants to state and local governments and other entities to increase truck parking capacity along major highways).