Shuttered Virginia rest areas to reopen

[froggie]

Per a CTB resolution passed yesterday, VDOT will reopen the 19 rest areas/welcome centers previously closed over the summer due to "budget cuts".  VDOT's plan for reopening them is here.  4 of the rest areas (all along I-81) will reopen by mid-February.  8 more (including the I-95 rest areas in Dale City and the I-66 Welcome Center in Manassas) will open by mid-March.  The remaining seven will open by mid-April.

[D-Dey65]

YES!!

[mightyace]

Definitely good news.

This also means there's a good chance they'll still be around if I need to use I-81 to get to Bloomsburg to avoid the proposed I-80 tolls.  In any case, if I decide to go that way instead of 65-71-76-80.

[Chris]

Is truck parking a problem in Virginia? It's a major corridor for trucks, both I-81 and I-95. They got to park those big rigs somewhere, but I guess they mostly go to truck stops off the freeway, and not to rest areas?

[D-Dey65]

Is truck parking a problem in Virginia? It's a major corridor for trucks, both I-81 and I-95. They got to park those big rigs somewhere, but I guess they mostly go to truck stops off the freeway, and not to rest areas?

Actually, the truck rest areas were open(at least on I-95).

[74/171FAN]

Is truck parking a problem in Virginia? It's a major corridor for trucks, both I-81 and I-95. They got to park those big rigs somewhere, but I guess they mostly go to truck stops off the freeway, and not to rest areas?

It was because before the rest areas were closed there were 2 hour parking limits at some of them; however, they were lifted when the rest areas actually closed but there is still no overnight parking.

Is truck parking a problem in Virginia? It's a major corridor for trucks, both I-81 and I-95. They got to park those big rigs somewhere, but I guess they mostly go to truck stops off the freeway, and not to rest areas?

Actually, the truck rest areas were open(at least on I-95).

The only truck rest area that I know of in VA is on I-95 SB at the weigh station just south of Dale City in NOVA.

[WillWeaverRVA]

There is also a truck rest area on I-95 NB near the same location.

[nerdly_dood]

Three cheers for Bob McDonnell!

[topay]

There are a handful of Truck Rest Areas in VA:

I-64 EB, between Covington/Clifton Forge and Lexington
I-81 NB, near Abingdon
I-95 NB and SB, near Dale City

And I agree, I'm glad to see them reopening.

[nerdly_dood]

The only truck rest area that I know of in VA is on I-95 SB at the weigh station just south of Dale City in NOVA.

There's one along I-81NB in either Wythe or Pulaski County. Then in Roanoke County there's a commercial truck stop (but with a quite painful interchange to get to it), as well as one in Wythe County.

[J N Winkler]

I just wonder what long-term good has come out of this piece of policy cycling.  The CTB resolution says explicitly that the rest areas are being reopened in response to "significant objection from the traveling public," but they knew that was going to happen before they proceeded with the closures.  So why close them in the first place?

[froggie]

On the face of it, they were closed to save money.

That said, the amount saved is small (about $9 million) given VDOT's overall budget (over $1B).

Then there are some in the state who suggest a "conspiracy theory", in that closing the rest areas because of the lack of funds would help entice residents to support a gas tax (or other transportation tax) increase.

[froggie]

The previously-noted four rest areas along I-81 reopened today:

http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/statewide/2010/vdot_reopens_first_four45199.asp

[mightyace]

Then there are some in the state who suggest a "conspiracy theory", in that closing the rest areas because of the lack of funds would help entice residents to support a gas tax (or other transportation tax) increase.

Well, it wouldn't surprise me if it was true.

During a past budget crunch here in Tennessee, the State Parks were closed one or two days a week and user fees, if any, were increased.  Meanwhile, things with less public exposure were left unchanged.

[rickmastfan67]

There are a handful of Truck Rest Areas in VA:

I-81 NB, near Abingdon

That's at about MM 14.