LONGWOOD, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding a public meeting Thursday night regarding project updates for a new truck stop parking facility in Seminole County.

The parking facility would help to accommodate the state’s freight industry growth, which has been a major concern for years. FDOT officials said the I-4 corridor has the highest unmet truck parking demand in the state, but it's a nationwide issue.

What You Need To Know

  • Last year, a study revealed that Central Florida has only 36 designated parking spaces for freight trucks, but over 400 spaces are needed to accommodate the growing demand

  • FDOT is holding a public input meeting to share updated project plans to build five new parking facilities along I-4 and US 17/192

  • The meeting will be at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, 3755 W. Seminole Blvd., starting at 5:30 p.m.

  • For a virtual version of the meeting, sign up here

The public meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford will discuss plan updates as FDOT moves into the design phase for five new parking sites from Orange County to Volusia County. Officials said that this has been a conversation for a few years, with growing concerns for safety as many truckers are forced to park on the curb.

A recent study found only 36 designated truck parking spaces in Central Florida. However, the need sits at about 481 spaces, and officials project that by next year, that demand will jump to about 750.

“Well really, this is a nationwide issue in the freight industry, and the truck drivers' associations have identified that truck parking is a very critical issue," said Cindi Lane, the public information director at FDOT. "As the Florida Department of Transportation, we’ve been a part of that conversation, and we want to be a part of that solution."

For Seminole County, the new parking would be near Interstate 4 and US-17/92, close to Sanford. 

“We have identified five sites, preferred sites, as part of that study. One each in Osceola, Orange and Seminole counties and two in Volusia County, and we are moving into the design phase for those five preferred sites," Lane said.

As for the rest areas now in Longwood, Seminole County has asked FDOT to close them once the Sanford areas open, but that decision would ultimately be up to the federal government to make.