Traffic Technology TodayTraffic Technology Today
  • News
    • A-D
      • Appointments & Staffing
      • Asset Management
      • Autonomous Vehicles & ADAS
      • Awards
      • Cloud Computing
      • Congestion Reduction
      • Connected Vehicles
      • Covid-19
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data & Modeling
      • Deals, Acquisitions & Mergers
    • E-J
      • Electric vehicles & infrastructure
      • Emissions & Low Emission Zones
      • Enforcement
      • Event News
      • Funding
      • Incident Detection
      • Infrastructure
      • Intersections & Traffic Signals
      • ITS
    • K-S
      • Legal / Government Regulation
      • Machine Vision / ALPR
      • Mapping
      • Mobility as a Service
      • Multimodality & Micromobility
      • Planning, Testing, R&D
      • Public transit
      • Safety
      • Smart Cities
      • Smart Parking
    • T-Z
      • Tolling
      • Traffic counting & categorization
      • Traffic Management
      • Traveler Information Systems
      • Tunnels & Bridges
      • Variable Message Signs
      • Vulnerable Road Users
      • Weather systems
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
  • Online Magazines
    • May 2025
    • March 2025
    • December 2024
    • September 2024
    • June 2024
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
    • > Tolltrans
  • Video & Audio
    • Video
    • Audio
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Webinars
  • Technology Profiles
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Subscribe >
Traffic Technology TodayTraffic Technology Today
  • News
      • Appointments & Staffing
      • Asset Management
      • Autonomous Vehicles & ADAS
      • Awards
      • Cloud Computing
      • Congestion Reduction
      • Connected Vehicles
      • Covid-19
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data & Modeling
      • Deals, Acquisitions & Mergers
      • Electric vehicles & infrastructure
      • Emissions & Low Emission Zones
      • Enforcement
      • Event News
      • Funding
      • Incident Detection
      • Infrastructure
      • Intersections & Traffic Signals
      • ITS
      • Legal / Government Regulation
      • Machine Vision / ALPR
      • Mapping
      • Mobility as a Service
      • Multimodality & Micromobility
      • Planning, Testing, R&D
      • Public transit
      • Safety
      • Smart Cities
      • Smart Parking
      • Tolling
      • Traffic counting & categorization
      • Traffic Management
      • Traveler Information Systems
      • Tunnels & Bridges
      • Variable Message Signs
      • Vulnerable Road Users
      • Weather systems
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
  • Online Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. March 2025
    3. December 2024
    4. September 2024
    5. June 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. Archive Issues
    8. Subscribe Free!
    9. > Tolltrans
    Featured
    New issue graphic
    May 7, 2025

    Read the new TTi digital magazine online now – May 2025

    ITS By Tom Stone
    Recent
    New issue graphic

    Read the new TTi digital magazine online now – May 2025

    May 7, 2025

    NEW TTi MAGAZINE! Read the March 2025 digital edition online now

    March 21, 2025

    Digital magazine – read the new issue of TTi online for free – December 2024

    December 12, 2024
  • Video & Audio
    • Video
    • Audio
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • Webinars
  • Technology Profiles
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Traffic Technology TodayTraffic Technology Today
Data & Modeling

Tennessee starts ‘smart’ truck parking pilot program

Tom StoneBy Tom StoneFebruary 5, 20152 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

The second part of a ‘smart’ truck parking pilot program will be operational in Tennessee by the end of the month. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has partnered with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) on the SmartPark project, which will study the feasibility of providing real-time parking information to truckers on the road. Following the successful phase one ‘proof of concept’ demonstration, the second phase will demonstrate technology to disseminate information about truck parking availability in real-time to drivers, as well as network an adjacent truck rest area. The project is seen as a precursor for an ITS ‘smart parking corridor’ that will allow drivers to identify available parking, reserve a spot for a predetermined amount of time, and use the parking to ensure their journeys are safe and meet FMCSA’s hours of service regulations.

Two study sites are being opened on the northbound side of I-75 at Bradley and McMinn, which will be networked in real-time so truckers can be diverted from one site to the other when spaces fill up. The project, which has been led by the Gannett Fleming consultancy, uses a combination of cameras and Doppler radar detectors to sense trucks and other large vehicles entering and exiting the rest areas’ parking lots. The detectors, along with parking lot capacity information and other characteristics, are used to determine the site occupancy and availability of usable truck parking on a real-time basis. The detection system was selected after the Phase 1 tests showed the technology exceeded the performance requirements of 95% accuracy and 95% classification consistency based on vehicle length. Although video imaging and magnetometer systems met the occupancy requirements, neither provided the classification accuracy thresholds.

Once operational, truck drivers will be able visit a website to reserve parking at the McMinn and Bradley sites, with a SmartPark smartphone application also available for download. Truck parking was first identified as a nationwide problem in the mid-1990s, after Congress asked that the issue be examined by the US Department of Transportation. Initial ideas for SmartPark began development with a 2000 National Transportation Safety Board recommendation that the federal administration create a printed paper guide to inform truckers of locations and availability of parking. If the pilot proves successful, the FMCSA hopes that other states will adopt the technology demonstrated in the project to increase truck parking availability across the country.

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleCelebrating as ITS comes of age
Next Article World’s slimmest rear-projection cube display released
Tom Stone

Tom has edited Traffic Technology International (TTi) magazine and its Traffic Technology Today website since May 2014. During his time at the title, he has interviewed some of the top transportation chiefs at public agencies around the world as well as CEOs of leading multinationals and ground-breaking start-ups. Tom's earlier career saw him working on some the UK's leading consumer magazine titles. He has a law degree from the London School of Economics (LSE).

Related Posts

Autonomous Vehicles & ADAS

OPINION: The rise and fall of automated parking and what AV developers must learn

May 1, 20253 Mins Read
Multimodality & Micromobility

Park Active campaign in UK promoting active travel via smarter parking

March 25, 20251 Min Read
Optivu system.
Data & Modeling

Econolite introduces Autoscope OptiVu video detection solution

March 20, 20252 Mins Read
Latest Posts
Fibes Exhibition Centre, Seville

EXCLUSIVE: ITS European Congress Guide

May 9, 2025
New issue graphic

Read the new TTi digital magazine online now – May 2025

May 7, 2025

Adept Live Labs 2 launches pledge to drive decarbonisation across UK highways

May 7, 2025
FREE WEEKLY NEWS EMAIL!

Get the ‘best of the week’ from TrafficTechnologyToday.com direct to your inbox every Thursday


Supplier Spotlights
Our Social Channels
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Free Email Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • Meet the Editors
  • Supplier Spotlight

Upcoming Events

May 19
May 19 - May 21

ITS European Congress – Seville 2025

May 21
May 21 - May 22

Traffex

Jun 17
June 17 - June 19

Intertraffic Americas – Mexico City 2025

View Calendar
© 2023 Mark Allen Group Ltd | All Rights Reserved
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.