Current ICT Project
Investigators:
  Peter Beltemacchi (Primary), Laurence Rohter, P.E.
Project Title:
  Guidelines, Site Selection, and Design for Implementing Truck Parking/Rest Facilities in Chicago's South Suburbs
Start Date: 11/1/2008
End Date: 10/31/2009
Summary of Project:
  The South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA), a COG (Council of Governments) has just completed their Freight Study. The SSMMA encompasses 42 municipalities in an area immediately south of the City of Chicago, and west of the Indiana State Line, including portions of southern Cook and eastern Will Counties. Interstates 80 (east-west) & 57 (north-south) form the main highway backbone of this Southland area. Based on the area’s Goods Movement Issues and Opportunities, the report set 14goals for improvements, several involving enhanced provisions for truck parking. A major goal is designating the I-80 East Logistics Corridor for promotion with ties to regional goals for development opportunities. Trucking support services are in abundance in the Southland and can be further attractors for a vibrant commercial economy. This research effort is intended to facilitate additional appropriate facilities in the Southland area with a contextual approach that emphasizes efficient and opportunistic solutions and a corridor approach. This project seeks to provide parking and rest-focused inputs and products for the SSMMA’s continuing efforts to meet the needs of truckers who provide pickups and deliveries to local manufacturers and other regional commercial operators, such as retailers and distribution or logistics provider. The results could also provide relief from the nuisance of parking by through truckers.
Objective of Project:
  For potential truck parking in the impacted area of I-80 in Cook/Eastern Will County, the research team will categorize problems; develop a locally responsive design guide and engineering handbook; provide detailed site plans/designs to alleviate delivery problems, including operational issues; address scattered truck parking problems by identifying parking zones on major roads or developing small parking areas on otherwise unusable adjacent sites, such as brownfields; and alleviate truck parking by forming agreements with property owners of existing facilities.
Expected Outcome:
  The research team will review existing policies and rules that negatively affect the trucking support industry in the south suburbs and examine ways of eliminating or modifying them. This effort may ultimately help encourage trucking-dependent and manufacturing industries to stay, expand, or relocate to this area. Besides examining the negative impacts of some rules and policies, the research team will also create a guide for developing environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient truck parking facilities as well as identify and design several truck parking facilities.
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Last Updated: 10/27/2009