Minneapolis controversial truck parking ban approved with amendments
The Minneapolis City Council’s Transportation and Public Works Committee approved a truck parking ban in the city.
On July 14, the council voted to amend a city ordinance banning truck parking within the city. The regulation prohibits parking vehicles over 26,000 pounds on any street in the city, and vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds are prohibited from parking in residential areas. Exceptions are made for vehicles that stop to unload passengers, or drivers who follow the instructions of the traffic controller or police officer.
Fines would start at $ 100 for parking violations from January 1, 2022 and would increase to $ 150 from January 1, 2023. After January 1, 2024, the fine would increase to $ 250.
Several amendments were added to the resolution:
- Directing Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED) staff to work with all interested parties to develop commercial truck parking in the City of Minneapolis. Outreach should be made with commercial property owners, institutions, and railroad companies to find potential sites for parking. While parking lots are not a use that is representative of the adopted Minneapolis 2040 plan, the need for this use is important enough that staff should endeavor to develop as many parking spots is as feasible in the city.
- Directing Intergovernmental Relations staff to reinvigorate regional efforts at finding legislative and operating solutions for commercial truck parking in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area.
- Directing staff to deliver a report to the City Council in the fourth quarter of 2022 detailing the development of parking opportunities, the first year’s experience with education and enforcement, and the results of regional inter-government efforts to find regional solutions to truck parking.
The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) is still opposed the parking ban, pointing out that it could force truckers to park outside the city and could delay “in time” transportation.
