HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — The cost to illegally park commercial vehicles is about to go up.
Until recently, the fine was just $33 in Howard County, the lowest of any jurisdiction in Maryland. That was a good deal for truckers, especially the ones who parked overnight and during the weekends along Twin Knolls Road in Columbia.
That's where Dan Medinger owns a business.
Hear how Howard County is putting the brakes on illegal truck parking
"The truckers found out the tickets were cheaper than going to park pay to park someplace, so they came back and said, you want a ticket me? Go ahead," Medinger explained.
The pattern was cause for concern for Medinger, from traffic issues, to cookouts with trash left behind and even a concern human trafficking.
"Some of these truckers have turned our neighborhoods and side streets into industrial parking lots, and it's just not right," Medinger said.
Medinger and others petitioned District 2 Councilor Opel Jones to solve the issue. Earlier this month, his bill successfully passed creating a tiered fine system where the minumum for a first offense is $250 and the maximum for a second and any subsequent offense is $1000.
"This should solve the problem because it no longer is cheaper to get a ticket than it is to park your truck where you should," Medinger said.
A trucker who spoke on WMAR-2 News on Thursday told Blair Sabol that once the law takes effect, it'll be a real issue for drivers to find parking.
An In Focus look at places where trucks can legally park in Howard County
"Honestly, if it's not zoned for that and there's residential neighborhoods, you don't want to pass by 2, 5, 10 tractor trailers going into your neighborhood," Jones said. "It is unfortunate if the driver has to make other arrangements, but that's up to the company to ensure that these drivers are safe, and if they have to park somewhat of a distance away from where they're working, they need to set that up."
Howard County police say they will begin issuing warnings during a 30 day educational period that begins next Thursday.
The law takes full effect on September 7.
"We're really gonna have to rely on the county police to be diligent about putting those tickets out there the first time, the 2nd time, and the 3rd time so that the truckers know this is serious," Medinger said.
