What do you think of Illinois rest areas?

[dvferyance]

on-road business was banned on Interstates by federal law 23 U.S.C. § 111.  the toll road service areas were grandfathered in. Some states banned them further on other roads.

The one exception to this is I-95 and I-395 in Connecticut. But that used to be a toll road I guess they got a waiver when the tolls were removed in the 80's.

[hotdogPi]

on-road business was banned on Interstates by federal law 23 U.S.C. § 111.  the toll road service areas were grandfathered in. Some states banned them further on other roads.

The one exception to this is I-95 and I-395 in Connecticut. But that used to be a toll road I guess they got a waiver when the tolls were removed in the 80's.

I-95/MA 128 has a service plaza near Exit 30.

[captkirk_4]

And length has nothing to do with it.  The Delaware Turnpike, 11 miles in length, has a service area with restaurants and fuel.  The 44 mile Atlantic City Expressway has 2 service areas.

Convenient?  Yes.  However, more expensive than off-highway facilities?  Yes.  And as Scott mentioned, they're banned anyway.  NY has built mini-convenience stores in some of their rest stops and they are currently in a fight with the feds about that right now.  Don't be surprised if the feds eventually stop providing NY State with all of their federal transportation funds.

But they do have vending machines, if you just want a soda it's fine.

I take Blood Pressure medicine and it's a diuretic that makes me have to urinate quite a bit for the first few hours afterwards. The good thing about the rest areas is if you only have to use the washroom you don't have to buy anything to go in. Also if you do need to go to the bathroom, look for a truck stop, not a gas station. The truck stop will have large public bathrooms with no wait. The old style gas stations often have just a single unisex toilet and locking door that you end up waiting forever. Rest areas also are straight in straight out, no left turns onto busy roads or waiting at lights trying to find your way back. Effingham has just about every fast food restaurant, gas station, truck stop chain out there at it's exit. It's also incredible difficult changing or crossing 6 busy lanes in a half block trying to get to which spot you chose to go to.

[abefroman329]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

[SEWIGuy]

I am assuming that it was lobbying that nixed the rest areas with restaurants and the like. 

[Brandon]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

[johndoe780]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

Agreed, the price of services are actually quite comparable. and as far as the gas, I believe it's strictly regulated. It's a bit odd, because on the toll roads on Indiana and Ohio, there's severe price gouging compared to ITHSA when it comes to gas.

[SSOWorld]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

[inkyatari]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

That's kind of sad, actually.  The service areas on 294 were always a cool place to sit and eat.

I vaguely remember when there were Howard Johnson's restaurants in them.  You'd be eating your waffles while watching the traffic pass underneath you.  To a kid like me in the 70's, that was a great experience.

[Rick Powell]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

And ironically, collecting federal and state gas taxes on a road system that doesn't receive direct funding from either of them.

[johndoe780]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

And ironically, collecting federal and state gas taxes on a road system that doesn't receive direct funding from either of them.

Tollway gets subsidized loans though

[Joe The Dragon]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

des plaines will be removed when the west bypass is done. Hindale and ohare will need to go or be rebuild. They don't even have room for 4 lanes + full shoulders much less wided shoulders.

[I-39]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

And while it will not be for a while, I could see the Lincoln Oasis coming down eventually as well, when they (inevitably) have to widen I-80/294 to five lanes in that section.

Lake Forest could be in danger too if they ever want to widen the shoulders on the north part of the Tri-State for bus service. Perhaps all that will be left someday will be Belvidere and DeKalb?

[Joe The Dragon]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

And while it will not be for a while, I could see the Lincoln Oasis coming down eventually as well, when they (inevitably) have to widen I-80/294 to five lanes in that section.

Lake Forest could be in danger too if they ever want to widen the shoulders on the north part of the Tri-State for bus service. Perhaps all that will be left someday will be Belvidere and DeKalb?

well all but Des Plaines can be made to into gas only / maybe some kind of side area with small walkway over the road.

Lincoln Oasis may have to fully go as well (ramp spacing issues with widening)


north part AUX lanes from exit to exit can be done + more full interchanges and if 53/120 is build that may lessen the load.

[westerninterloper]

I don't know about the IL rest areas, but I do know that the Indiana Toll Road RAs are horrible, and the Ohio Turnpike RAs are perhaps the best in the US.

[johndoe780]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

And while it will not be for a while, I could see the Lincoln Oasis coming down eventually as well, when they (inevitably) have to widen I-80/294 to five lanes in that section.

Lake Forest could be in danger too if they ever want to widen the shoulders on the north part of the Tri-State for bus service. Perhaps all that will be left someday will be Belvidere and DeKalb?
[/quote

Agreed, I can see them knocking down Lincoln and Lake forest oasis in order to expand the shoulder and leaving it just with the 7-eleven/mobil.

[inkyatari]

I don't know about the IL rest areas, but I do know that the Indiana Toll Road RAs are horrible,

I'm surprised they haven't rebuilt those. They are like going into an old truck stop that has a Skelly's gas station.

If I recall correctly, the service area near the Ohio border was boarded up as of two years ago.

[captkirk_4]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

Agreed, the price of services are actually quite comparable. and as far as the gas, I believe it's strictly regulated. It's a bit odd, because on the toll roads on Indiana and Ohio, there's severe price gouging compared to ITHSA when it comes to gas.

Any increase is well worth the hassle of not have to exit, pay a toll, search around a strange area to find your service, and then get back on the tollway. I-294 isn't like a downstate expressway where you can see all the 100 foot tall brightly lit service signs from 7 miles out at places like LeRoy or Gilman and know well in advance there is somewhere you want to buy something a stone's throw from the exit. With I-294 your in that sunken canyon with tree bound residential areas above and can't see anything, or even know if the exit has a four way movement and you can get back on.

If they have to widen Hinsdale etc. why can't they just lay down longer beams over the highway and rebuild a new Oasis? All the guts can sit in storage and then the deep fryers, furnaces, air conditioning, registers can go into the new structure? Or put them on the sides by the gas stations?

[tdindy88]

I don't know about the IL rest areas, but I do know that the Indiana Toll Road RAs are horrible,

I'm surprised they haven't rebuilt those. They are like going into an old truck stop that has a Skelly's gas station.

If I recall correctly, the service area near the Ohio border was boarded up as of two years ago.

The Indiana Toll Road is rebuilding the service areas. Two of them, at Portage and Elkhart will be rebuilt as gas stations (similar to the Des Plaines Oasis now.) And the other two, at Rolling Prairie and Howe will be rebuilt as brand new service plazas. I think the Portage and Howe plazas are already finished with the other two under construction.

[Joe The Dragon]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

Agreed, the price of services are actually quite comparable. and as far as the gas, I believe it's strictly regulated. It's a bit odd, because on the toll roads on Indiana and Ohio, there's severe price gouging compared to ITHSA when it comes to gas.

Any increase is well worth the hassle of not have to exit, pay a toll, search around a strange area to find your service, and then get back on the tollway. I-294 isn't like a downstate expressway where you can see all the 100 foot tall brightly lit service signs from 7 miles out at places like LeRoy or Gilman and know well in advance there is somewhere you want to buy something a stone's throw from the exit. With I-294 your in that sunken canyon with tree bound residential areas above and can't see anything, or even know if the exit has a four way movement and you can get back on.

If they have to widen Hinsdale etc. why can't they just lay down longer beams over the highway and rebuild a new Oasis? All the guts can sit in storage and then the deep fryers, furnaces, air conditioning, registers can go into the new structure? Or put them on the sides by the gas stations?

I-355 never had any of them and 53/120 none planed.

[abefroman329]

I-355 never had any of them and 53/120 none planed.

By the time I-355 was built, the surrounding areas were so built up, they would've been useless.  Same with the future 53/120.  Same with the current EOE.

[tribar]

I-355 never had any of them and 53/120 none planed.

By the time I-355 was built, the surrounding areas were so built up, they would've been useless.  Same with the future 53/120.  Same with the current EOE.

That and they are mainly used by commuter traffic, not cross state-country traffic that usually uses rest areas.

[tribar]

more expensive than off-highway facilities?

Not in my experience.  Is a customer at a service plaza really that much more captive than a customer at a business just off the expressway?

Not here, in Illinois.  I've found the oases to have prices comparable to off-tollway services.  Sometimes, the gas can actually be cheaper than off-tollway (as at DeKalb).

Agreed, the price of services are actually quite comparable. and as far as the gas, I believe it's strictly regulated. It's a bit odd, because on the toll roads on Indiana and Ohio, there's severe price gouging compared to ITHSA when it comes to gas.

Any increase is well worth the hassle of not have to exit, pay a toll, search around a strange area to find your service, and then get back on the tollway. I-294 isn't like a downstate expressway where you can see all the 100 foot tall brightly lit service signs from 7 miles out at places like LeRoy or Gilman and know well in advance there is somewhere you want to buy something a stone's throw from the exit. With I-294 your in that sunken canyon with tree bound residential areas above and can't see anything, or even know if the exit has a four way movement and you can get back on.

That's not true. ISTHA always has signs posted when you can't get back on at an interchange and they include the next road you can get on from.

[tribar]

Well with Des Plaines cut in half and Hinsdale in danger - they may become things of the past - if not rarer.

And while it will not be for a while, I could see the Lincoln Oasis coming down eventually as well, when they (inevitably) have to widen I-80/294 to five lanes in that section.

Honestly they should have added a 5th lane when they widened it ~10 years ago. Hopefully ISTHA looks into doing that when they're done with the Central Tri State rebuild.