Trucking Association Flouts the Regs and City Shrugs

American Trucking Association Show Truck parked illegally on the 400 block of First Street, SE.

Part of the American Trucking Association lobbying complex on the 400 block of First Street, SE.

Trucking Association Flouts the Regs and City Shrugs

by Larry Janezich

Posted September 23, 2023

Ten days ago, the American Trucking Association (ATA, HQ at 430 1^st, SE) decided to hold a little celebration of “National Trucking Day” by illegally parking an 18-wheeler in the street outside their lobbying office and keep it idling all day long – 8:00am until 4:00pm – despite neighbors’ polite requests that they turn off the diesel engine.  Even more, neighbors allege, the truckers “mocked and laughed” at them, apparently reacting to community opposition to holding such events on the block in the past.

If you haven’t been in close proximity of an idling semi-tractor trailer you’d be surprised how annoying it is after a few minutes, not to mention living across the street from it and hearing it all day long. 

Nearby residents say that nobody at city agencies or the Mayor’s hotline did anything to help them and the only one who did was ANC6B01 Commissioner Frank Avery. 

Avery says he tried to approach the situation in three different ways:

• ATA’s failure to obtain an event permit (which would have required neighbor notification).
• ATA’s failure to abide by the restrictions of the posted reserved parking permit (which in fact turned out to be invalid).
• Violation of the city’s idling laws.

He says the initial responses from city agencies to his requests for city intervention were:

• DC Licensing & Consumer Protection (DLCP) confirmed there was no event permit but apparently took no further action.
• The Department of Public Works (DPW) confirmed that the parking permit wasn’t “verified,” meaning it wasn’t valid and the vehicle didn’t have the right to be parked where it was, let alone block the (northbound side of the) street.  The agency said they would send someone over.  (Maybe they did – maybe they arrived after the event – it’s hard to say.) 
• DC Department of Public Works parking enforcement dispatch misinformed Avery by saying the idling law didn’t apply because “it wasn’t over 90 degrees.”

Next, Avery reached out to CM Charles Allen’s office and the Mayor’s Ward 6 Office of Community Relations.  Avery says CM Allen’s office attempted to contact the DC Department of Energy Efficiency   (DOEE) on the idling issue, but to his knowledge, didn’t receive a response.  Avery did not hear back from the Mayor’s liaison until the event was over.

Avery’s litany of disappointments includes:

• No Front Line Enforcement Attempt:  No agency, particularly DC DPW as the “first line of enforcement” for parking issues, would address the issue directly.  
• Inaccurate Information:  Being provided with inaccurate information by DC DPW.
• Burden of Proof on the Resident:  Neighbors and Avery collected all the information that made it clear that something was likely going on that justified an agency inspection.  There were four agencies that could have responded to gather evidence – DC DPW, DDOT (who issued the parking permit), DLCP (who issues event permits for street closures), and the DOEE (anti-idling enforcement).  None did, despite neighbors and their commissioner demonstrating that a violation of some kind was likely occurring and warranted action.

In Avery’s follow-up with DDOT, he was told that MPD could have enforced the parking placard – information that somehow failed to get transmitted by any of the agencies engaged.   And despite many neighbors having called the Mayor’s Hotline the morning of the event with complaints, none received adequate follow up or enforcement.

Currently, the issue of the commercialization of residential properties near the Capitol Building is a hot topic in the ANCs who have been successful in getting the issue on the Department of Building’s radar.  Though in this instance, the transgression involves occupants of commercial property, it points up the failure of commercial entities to be good neighbors to nearby residents.  CM Charles Allen will participate in a walking tour of commercial entities occupying residential properties on and near New Jersey Avenue, SE, on Monday night at 6:00pm.  The previously scheduled tour was organized by Commissioner Avery.