5,000 commercial truck parking spaces needed in Metro Vancouver

The new North Surrey Truck Parking Facility. (Government of BC)

There is a shortfall of 5,000 large parking spaces for oversized commercial trucks across Metro Vancouver, according to the Canadian Trucking Association of BC (CTABC).

This includes the need for 2,000 spaces within Surrey, where many of the region’s truck drivers reside, and where many logistics, warehouse-based, and other types of traditional industrial businesses are located.

“The issue has been left unresolved for more than 20 years and the planners and politicians have never shown any real intention to resolve this issue. They need to get this issue resolved in partnership with the industry before it is too late,” said Amit Kumar, the president of the CTABC.

He says this massive gap “will not be resolved by such a piecemeal approach. The City [of Surrey], Metro Vancouver, and the province need to resolve this collectively on a larger priority basis.”

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Such trucks not only directly deliver goods to local businesses, but they are used to ship goods between the Port of Vancouver and elsewhere in Canada. It is estimated about four-in-10 of all heavy-duty truck trips in Metro Vancouver are on Asia Pacific gateway-related trips, with this volume growing from the increased cargo and container volumes to BC’s ports.

According to the City, a shortfall of available industrial lands in the region has created pressures in the trucking industry in Surrey and other areas within the South of Fraser. Without designated truck parking facilities, there have been growing issues with unpermitted truck parking lots, which create issues such as noise complaints, safety concerns, and damage to roads not designed for heavy-duty trucks.

“This has been an issue for at least 20 years, and has only become more concerning as Surrey truckers struggle to find legal places to park after their workday. As a result, many feel forced to break bylaws which costs them fines and irritates neighbours. We need to do better than temporary solutions,” said Surrey city councillor Linda Annis.

“We all forget how much the trucking industry means to our economy. There’s nothing glamorous about truck parking, but without designated parking locations and practical solutions, we are jeopardizing our local industry, and the supply chain we all count on to deliver absolutely everything we need and use every day.”

Heavy-duty truck parking. (Mikbiz/Shutterstock)

Earlier this month, following the recommendations of City staff, City Council approved the lease of four City-owned sites on a temporary basis for the purpose of creating truck parking. They selected Prudential Transportation to operate and maintain these sites as truck parking lots, with lease terms for each site lasting for up to six years.

This includes a 1.54-acre site at 13119-13123 115A Avenue, 13132 115B Avenue, and 11561 132 Street, and a 1.92-acre site at 12875 112B Avenue, which are both located in the Bridgeview area next to Highway 17 (South Fraser Perimeter Road) and the Pattullo Bridge. The remaining two locations are a 1.89-acre site at 17768 96 Avenue next to the Highway 1 interchange with Highway 15 (Pacific Highway), and a 1.16-acre site at 18949 52 Avenue near Highway 15 in an area just southwest of Langley City Centre.

“Surrey has long had a lack of truck parking spaces, leading to various challenges such as bylaw infractions, safety concerns, and negative impacts on businesses and residents,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “It is important to address this issue because I have often said trucking is our economy on wheels. Council has now taken concrete steps to resolve this by creating truck parking lots at four City-owned sites.”

The construction cost of turning these sites into suitable parking spaces — such as work on paving, driveways, and drainage — will be funded by the municipal government. The City has set aside $2 million in its 2024/2025 budget for such work to create temporary truck parking lots.

It is expected the City will recover at least a portion of its investment through leasing, licensing agreement fees, and property taxes paid by Prudential Transportation.

“The City has experienced a significant shortfall of truck parking spaces for the transportation industry for a considerable duration of time,” reads a City staff report earlier this month.

“The City is seeking to address this ongoing shortage of truck parking spaces that have been a longstanding issue and led to an array of issues including bylaw infractions for overweight vehicle parking and unauthorized use of designated truck routes, as well as negative ramifications for Surrey businesses and residents including noise complaints, safety concerns, damage to roads, diesel fumes and oil leaks. A contributing factor toward these issues is the lack of available parking spaces for large commercial vehicles.”

However, these four sites totalling 6.5 acres will provide parking space for only about 150 trucks.

In response, CTABC says these four locations spearheaded by the City “will not make a meaningful dent in the shortage of truck parking in the city and will not have any meaningful impact on the situation.”

Today, the provincial government announced it will open its new North Surrey Truck Parking Facility on March 28, 2024. The facility, located on Highway 17 near the Port Mann Bridge, will have a capacity for 106 trucks, along with supporting amenities and features such as washrooms with showers, a sani-dump for drivers, and security measures like fencing, CCTV, and 24-hour security. Access to the facility was created by building a signalized intersection along Highway 17.

The provincial government contributed $17 million towards building the facility, while the federal government’s contribution came from a portion of the $109 million federal investment towards the widening of the Trans Canada Highway between 216th Street and 264th Street.

“Commercial long-haul drivers are the lifeblood of our supply chain, and it’s important they’re supported with infrastructure that allows them to do their jobs safely, efficiently and comfortably,” said Rob Fleming, BC’s minister of transportation and infrastructure.

“The new North Surrey Truck Parking Facility is an important addition for commercial drivers travelling to and through the Lower Mainland, as it provides another safe, secure and convenient place to stop and rest.”

Last week, in response to the recent spate of incidents of heavy commercial trucks colliding into highway overpasses, the provincial government introduced legislation to impose fines of up to $100,000 for such incidents and penalize drivers with imprisonment for up to 18 months upon conviction.

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