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I-49 Coming to Missouri

Started by US71, August 04, 2010, 06:54:42 PM

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InterstateNG

I demand an apology.


Scott5114

Whenever the BVB is finished and I-49 becomes a serious shipping corridor I'm sure that Flying J, TA, or Loves will pick up on the need for more truck stops and put in some locations.

I can't imagine why they wouldn't do a welcome center, especially with the money they spent to redo the one in Joplin recently. (Maybe it would have been a better idea to move that one to the future I-44/49 interchange and kill two welcome centers with one stone.)

Quote from: Brandon on September 03, 2012, 07:01:26 PM
Bunk.  Rest areas still provide a need and a function along the freeway.  If properly placed (such as before a city), they double as map stops.  Gas stations are not always dependable, and restaurants look at you weird if you use the washroom but not ordering the food.  Private businesses DO NOT fill that niche.

A "map stop"? You can use any off ramp for that, or the shoulder, or a business parking lot. (Nobody is going to waste the time to come out and chastise you for taking up a parking spot for a few minutes.) I can't imagine people need to stop and consult maps all that frequently that it's worth spending several million to have a place dedicated to that activity.

Most interchanges with a gas station will have more than one. If the proprietor of one is being an asshat to travelers you can just go to the next one. Only once have I ever had a problem using a bathroom at a gas station without making a purchase. That was in Big Cabin, which is already a known asshat factory. Most of the time gas station clerks don't even seem to be cognizant of what any individual customer is doing since they're busy running the till or cleaning or whatever.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

bugo

I don't feel bad about stopping at McDonald's or other burger joints to take a piss if I'm on the road.  I do feel bad about going into privately owned gas stations and just using the loo so I always try to buy a coke or something.

bugo

Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 07:09:46 PM
Quote from: Brandon on September 03, 2012, 07:01:26 PM
Private businesses DO NOT fill that niche.

Yes they do.

Nope.  Most gas stations require a purchase to use the bathroom, and you'll get funny looks if you don't buy something.  When I went to North Dakota in 2011, I used the rest areas along I-29 instead of spending money on cokes (I had a case of Coke in a cooler that I took with me.)

Brandon

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 03, 2012, 07:11:48 PM
Whenever the BVB is finished and I-49 becomes a serious shipping corridor I'm sure that Flying J, TA, or Loves will pick up on the need for more truck stops and put in some locations.

I can't imagine why they wouldn't do a welcome center, especially with the money they spent to redo the one in Joplin recently. (Maybe it would have been a better idea to move that one to the future I-44/49 interchange and kill two welcome centers with one stone.)

Quote from: Brandon on September 03, 2012, 07:01:26 PM
Bunk.  Rest areas still provide a need and a function along the freeway.  If properly placed (such as before a city), they double as map stops.  Gas stations are not always dependable, and restaurants look at you weird if you use the washroom but not ordering the food.  Private businesses DO NOT fill that niche.

A "map stop"? You can use any off ramp for that, or the shoulder, or a business parking lot. (Nobody is going to waste the time to come out and chastise you for taking up a parking spot for a few minutes.) I can't imagine people need to stop and consult maps all that frequently that it's worth spending several million to have a place dedicated to that activity.

Most interchanges with a gas station will have more than one. If the proprietor of one is being an asshat to travelers you can just go to the next one. Only once have I ever had a problem using a bathroom at a gas station without making a purchase. That was in Big Cabin, which is already a known asshat factory. Most of the time gas station clerks don't even seem to be cognizant of what any individual customer is doing since they're busy running the till or cleaning or whatever.

Yes, a map stop.  That's why some states (i.e. Michigan) put them before major junctions.  It's not to look at your map, but rather, to look at the maps and information they have there.  That's something not everyone will have.  They have information pertaining to construction, hotels, etc.

As for gas stations, I'd rather stop at a rest area or service area, or even a wayside than go to a gas station and be looked at funny for not making a purchase, or being told "no gotta bathroom".  They do not fill that niche.  Rest areas, waysides, and service areas do.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

US71

Quote from: ShawnP on September 03, 2012, 06:12:02 PM
Flying J in Peculiar is infamous for having the cheapest gas in the KC area. I still see a need for 1 south bound and 2 North Bound rest areas(includes welcome center). Now MoDot has become anti rest area and will probably won't build any even including a welcome center.

News to me. And here I thought Arkansas was anti-Rest Area.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

NE2

#256
In Florida, I believe the law (or FDOT policy?) says that if it's on the logo signs, you can poo there, though a quick look turns up nothing.

This is true in Maine for gas stations only: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/17/229/229c206.doc
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

InterstateNG

Quote from: bugo on September 03, 2012, 07:35:53 PM
Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 07:09:46 PM
Quote from: Brandon on September 03, 2012, 07:01:26 PM
Private businesses DO NOT fill that niche.

Yes they do.

Nope.  Most gas stations require a purchase to use the bathroom, and you'll get funny looks if you don't buy something.  When I went to North Dakota in 2011, I used the rest areas along I-29 instead of spending money on cokes (I had a case of Coke in a cooler that I took with me.)

Never had that problem.

I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.
I demand an apology.

US71

Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 09:20:02 PM
I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.

I've been in too many gas stations/c-stores with nasty restrooms. Better McDonald's, BK, or Wendy's.  Kum & Go, I rarely have a problem, though Flying J/Pilot is a roll of the dice.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

bugo

Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 09:20:02 PM
I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.

You have a better chance of being shot in a robbery at a gas station than to be a victim of a crime at a rest stop.

US71

Quote from: bugo on September 03, 2012, 11:50:34 PM
Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 09:20:02 PM
I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.

You have a better chance of being shot in a robbery at a gas station than to be a victim of a crime at a rest stop.

But I can't top off my caffeine levels at a Rest Area ;)
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

InterstateNG

Quote from: bugo on September 03, 2012, 11:50:34 PM
Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 09:20:02 PM
I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.

You have a better chance of being shot in a robbery at a gas station than to be a victim of a crime at a rest stop.

Sure about that?  I've never been accosted at a gas station.  I have at a rest stop.
I demand an apology.

nexus73

Quote from: US71 on September 04, 2012, 09:43:46 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 03, 2012, 11:50:34 PM
Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 09:20:02 PM
I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.

You have a better chance of being shot in a robbery at a gas station than to be a victim of a crime at a rest stop.

But I can't top off my caffeine levels at a Rest Area ;)

You can get cookies and coffee at the rest stop on I-5 about 50 miles north of the Washington-Oregon border.  Volunteers provide the goodies and they encourage you to take a safety break!  I wish this was the case at rest stops all over the nation. 

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

agentsteel53

Quote from: InterstateNG on September 04, 2012, 10:05:18 AM


Sure about that?  I've never been accosted at a gas station.  I have at a rest stop.

yay, small sample sizes!

I once was accosted sitting at a Sonic drive-in.  let's burn them all down! 
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

InterstateNG

Speaking of burning things, nice straw man there.
I demand an apology.

kphoger

I've never, not once, had anyone at a gas station or fast food chain look at me funny for using the bathroom only.  Quite the opposite, I've had more than a few smile and point me in the right direction.  I look at it this way:  gas stations are there to provide services to the motorist, and servies include water for the windshield, air for the tires, and bathrooms for potty breaks and diaper changes.  Some gas stations have free air running all the time, while most require a purchase first; but, if I'm told I can't wash the windows or use the bathroom without spending money first, then I'm not going back to that gas station again.  We have a wide selection of gas stations in this country, and I'll choose to spend my money at the ones that don't do their best to nickle and dime me.

I personally almost never plan stops at rest areas.  The only times we stop at them are when we can't make it to the next planned stop without peeing, changing a diaper, cleaning something up, etc.  Often, we'll just take the next exit instead; if it has no services, we'll just take care of business on the shoulder of the ramp (OK, unless my wife has to pee).  I see the main function of rest areas as providing a place to take a nap; many states don't even permit that.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Alps

Quote from: US71 on September 04, 2012, 09:43:46 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 03, 2012, 11:50:34 PM
Quote from: InterstateNG on September 03, 2012, 09:20:02 PM
I much prefer a clean, busy gas station to some unpatrolled rest area that smells like it doesn't have running water.

You have a better chance of being shot in a robbery at a gas station than to be a victim of a crime at a rest stop.

But I can't top off my caffeine levels at a Rest Area ;)
Pennsylvania was giving out coffee according to the VMS on I-84 yesterday.

Scott5114

I do admit, having rest stops is a nice feature. Illinois has an especially nice system of them. And it was a pleasant surprise to find them on a two-lane state highway in Michigan (M-28, to be precise). I do utilize them occasionally when available.

But I don't think that it provides a good value for the money for the state involved. Even after construction costs are paid we still have to pay for the landscaping, cleaning and maintenance of any buildings, and to send cops by to make sure nothing stupid is going on after dark. I don't think the millions of dollars is a good investment just so I can avoid the disapproval of a minimum wage employee (who, speaking from experience as a former fast food manager, will often generally disapprove of anyone who enters the building at all since it means they have to work).
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Alps

Why not have rest areas on the Turnpike model - lease space to vendors so that it becomes cost-neutral?

NE2

Quote from: Steve on September 04, 2012, 07:09:25 PM
Why not have rest areas on the Turnpike model - lease space to vendors so that it becomes cost-neutral?
The job creators at exits will complain (which is why FHWA doesn't allow non-grandfathered ones on Interstates, I think).
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

amroad17

Quote from: NE2 on September 04, 2012, 07:18:51 PM
Quote from: Steve on September 04, 2012, 07:09:25 PM
Why not have rest areas on the Turnpike model - lease space to vendors so that it becomes cost-neutral?
The job creators at exits will complain (which is why FHWA doesn't allow non-grandfathered ones on Interstates, I think).
Besides, the cost of any items would be $.50-$1 above what you would find at restaurants or gas stations at the exits.  In fact, some current rest areas sell the 20 oz. vending beverages about 25 cents more than if you stopped at a "gas mart" at an exit.
I don't need a GPS.  I AM the GPS! (for family and friends)

Brandon

Quote from: amroad17 on September 04, 2012, 07:58:56 PM
Quote from: NE2 on September 04, 2012, 07:18:51 PM
Quote from: Steve on September 04, 2012, 07:09:25 PM
Why not have rest areas on the Turnpike model - lease space to vendors so that it becomes cost-neutral?
The job creators at exits will complain (which is why FHWA doesn't allow non-grandfathered ones on Interstates, I think).
Besides, the cost of any items would be $.50-$1 above what you would find at restaurants or gas stations at the exits.  In fact, some current rest areas sell the 20 oz. vending beverages about 25 cents more than if you stopped at a "gas mart" at an exit.

However, many service areas are not more expensive than off the tollway.  In fact, they seem to compete rather well with the off-tollway services (speaking from my experiences with the ISTHA Oases).  They also don't seem to discourage off-tollway services.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

kphoger

Quote from: Brandon on September 04, 2012, 08:50:09 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on September 04, 2012, 07:58:56 PM
Quote from: NE2 on September 04, 2012, 07:18:51 PM
Quote from: Steve on September 04, 2012, 07:09:25 PM
Why not have rest areas on the Turnpike model - lease space to vendors so that it becomes cost-neutral?
The job creators at exits will complain (which is why FHWA doesn't allow non-grandfathered ones on Interstates, I think).
Besides, the cost of any items would be $.50-$1 above what you would find at restaurants or gas stations at the exits.  In fact, some current rest areas sell the 20 oz. vending beverages about 25 cents more than if you stopped at a "gas mart" at an exit.

However, many service areas are not more expensive than off the tollway.  In fact, they seem to compete rather well with the off-tollway services (speaking from my experiences with the ISTHA Oases).  They also don't seem to discourage off-tollway services.

The Kansas Turnpike is hit-or-miss with gas prices.  Some days, they're comparable, some days they're quite a bit more expensive.  As far as restaurants go, it's the airports and bus stations that really gouge you.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Alps

Quote from: NE2 on September 04, 2012, 07:18:51 PM
Quote from: Steve on September 04, 2012, 07:09:25 PM
Why not have rest areas on the Turnpike model - lease space to vendors so that it becomes cost-neutral?
The job creators at exits will complain (which is why FHWA doesn't allow non-grandfathered ones on Interstates, I think).
Yeah, but they're free to move in as well. I'm not looking at a franchise model like the toll road. Local businesses can lease space to sell their wares or set up a mini shop. Better that than no rest area?

bugo

Quote from: Steve on September 04, 2012, 06:23:07 PM
Pennsylvania was giving out coffee according to the VMS on I-84 yesterday.

Florida gives out free orange juice at some of its welcome centers.



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