Local business and government leaders must dig deep and rack educated minds together to form solutions to bring new truck stops to the region if the area wants to prove itself as business friendly, said Sandra Slifer, director for the civic group Tammany Together.

Speaking at the group’s membership meeting Monday, Slifer questioned the wisdom of the state Department of Transportation and Development to shut down 14 of the state’s 34 rest stops due to lack of funding.

“This is not a favorable position to bring in businesses and have nowhere for their (truck haulers) to go,” Slifer said. The issue made headlines recently when Tammany Together questioned the safety of truck drivers parking on interstate exit and off ramps.

But with truckers facing federal guidelines to stop after 14 to 16 hours of driving, and pressure from companies to increase delivery times, truck drivers complained they were sandwiched in a catch 22. Coupled with a DOTD movement to tear down or abandon 70 percent of the state’s truck stops, the issues are adding gas to an already flammable situation.

“This is the perfect thing to lobby for as part of the overall solution,” said one Tammany Together member, who wished not to be identified. “Right now it’s a mess.”

The members were directing comments to Brenda Reine-Bertus, executive director of the St. Tammany Parish Economic Development Foundation and the I-12 Business Alliance, a group of business leaders who are touting a swath of interstate from St. Helena, Washington, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston parishes as a crucial corridor for new business attraction.

“This is part of the solution that needs to be worked out by the I-12 alliance,” Slifer said.

Reine-Bertus agreed.

“We know that a state, parish or city can’t be stagnant,” she said. “It can’t stop when it’s got momentum.”