MINNEAPOLIS — Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Minneapolis will enact a ban on street parking within city limits for most commercial trucks. The Minneapolis City Council passed the proposed ordinance Friday, July 23, with a vote of 12-1. Street parking is already banned in the city’s residential areas.
Under the new ordinance, vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds will be barred from stopping, standing or parking on any city street. The restriction will be waived for trucks that are “actually and expeditiously” loading or unloading people or materials or that are stopped or parked at the request of law enforcement or traffic control.
Trucks will still be allowed to park in areas that have posted signs authorizing parking for heavy vehicles.
Penalties for violating the ordinance will result in a $100 fine throughout 2022. In 2023, the fine will be raised to $150, and it will jump to $250 in 2024.
The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) earlier this year voiced opposition to the proposed ordinance, noting that forcing truck drivers to park outside of the city would impede on-time deliveries and disrupt daily commerce.
John Housladen, president of MTA, explained that many of the trucks parked overnight within city limits belong to owner-operators who live in Minneapolis.
“These small businesses, many of whom are minority-owned, would have no viable alternative for overnight parking. This ban could effectively force many of these hard-working residents to choose between their livelihood and the place they call home,” he said.
The recently passed ordinance is the second time the Minneapolis City Council has considered a ban on truck parking. In 2019, the Minneapolis City Council heard a proposal of a similar nature; however, the proposal did not make it to a vote.
After being submitted to the city council’s transportation public works committee for a second time, the language of the ordinance was changed. It now proposes partnerships for developing truck parking sites.
“The language adopted puts the city in a purely reactive role, providing interested parties with only site search assistance,” Hausladen said. “Language asking for greater regional solutions is all good, but it doesn’t change the fact that starting Jan. 1, 2022, trucks will be ticketed for parking on Minneapolis city streets — with no new safe parking options.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
