http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2013/06/disappearing-american-original-roadside-rest-area/5783/
Interesting article in The Atlantic Cities about roadside rest areas (sometimes called other things in other states...Virginia calls them "Waysides", Minnesota calls them "Wayside Rests"), how they're disappearing, and a Texas lady's photoproject to document them.
For our part, Mapmikey has been doing something similar for the Virginia waysides (http://www.vahighways.com/waysides/waysides.htm) on the Virginia Highways Project.
I also found it interesting that the writer of the story never once said that he/she eats or has eaten at these rest areas. Nor do I recall reading in the story that the person saw anyone eating at one of these. So if the writer isn't eating there, and no one else is eating there, why would or should they remain?
QuoteIn my experience, the areas that are the most rural, or desolate, still have the most roadside picnic areas and rest stops.
Seems self-explanatory, doesn't it?
The roadside tables are a waste, IMHO, without a washroom of some kind, be it flush toilets or pit toilets. I despise the ones in Illinois due to their lack of toilet facilities. The ones in Wisconsin and Michigan are far more useful with their toilet facilities.
I remember basic roadside tables label as "rest areas" here in Louisiana from my childhood. Non had restrooms nor were they very inviting looking. These were mainly on U.S. highways. We also used to have "litter barrels" along major highways with warning signs alerting you that one was near.
Now we have closed most of the rest areas on the interstate system (other than welcome centers) as well.
Mark
Quote from: Brandon on June 06, 2013, 09:50:34 AM
The roadside tables are a waste, IMHO, without a washroom of some kind, be it flush toilets or pit toilets. I despise the ones in Illinois due to their lack of toilet facilities. The ones in Wisconsin and Michigan are far more useful with their toilet facilities.
Agreed. A port-a-potty is all that's really required for the truly desperate.
In Texas, a rest area has restroom facilities. Other roadside parks are called picnic areas and are often in scenic places. Some are really interesting. I've seen some fairly large picnic areas, and never have seen anyone having a picnic. They're mostly used by truckers taking their breaks. I haven't read anything about reducing the number of rest areas or picnic areas here. Actually, many are being improved by adding free wi-fi service.
If my $2 per week lottery ticket habit ever pays out a jackpot, I plan to make it a point to have a picnic at every picnic area in Texas, over a period of years, of course.
Quote from: Brandon on June 06, 2013, 09:50:34 AM
The roadside tables are a waste, IMHO, without a washroom of some kind, be it flush toilets or pit toilets. I despise the ones in Illinois due to their lack of toilet facilities. The ones in Wisconsin and Michigan are far more useful with their toilet facilities.
I remember when I was young my family would always eat sandwiches at one on I-81 north on the way to the 1000 Islands. We've done the same thing at one on the Thruway (not a service area) and one on NY 17.
Quote from: Brandon on June 06, 2013, 09:50:34 AMa washroom of some kind, be it flush toilets or pit toilets
I've seen plenty of places which offer a pit toilet and no washing facility. no plumbing.
There used to be a picnic area with no restroom on I-35W south of Denton, TX. Rest/picnic areas without restrooms are horrible idea.
What is the #1 reason a driver stops? To go #1 (or sometimes #2)
If people only used them for picnics, the problem wouldn't be so bad. The problem is that they are not used for picnics, they are used for truck parking areas.
When I worked for TxDot, this picnic area was still in service, and we had to maintain it. Truckers parked there overnight, and, of course, they had to go. They would pee in jugs or ziplock bags nad place them in trash receptacles or on the ground. They would urinate on the ground so much that the whole place smelled like pee. As for #2, they would mostly do that in fast food containers, and leave them on the ground. Someone even pooped on a picnic table.
They shut it down after I quit working for them. Good Riddance.
I remember when Ohio had a slew of roadside rests (also labeled as Rest Areas in Ohio). Once the freeways were in place and McDonalds sprouted up at practically every other exit, there was no need for these roadside rests anymore. The majority had pit toilets and hand-pumped well water stations.
Along the old US-6/US-50 alignment west of Mack, CO, there is a remnant of an old Roadside Rest/Rest Area, perhaps with a Welcome Center at one time (as it was near the Utah line). When I-70 was completed, the rest area was well out of the way for 98.99% of the travelers, so it has long since been abandoned.
Pooing is cool?
Quote from: kphoger on June 06, 2013, 11:42:33 AM
Quote from: Brandon on June 06, 2013, 09:50:34 AM
The roadside tables are a waste, IMHO, without a washroom of some kind, be it flush toilets or pit toilets. I despise the ones in Illinois due to their lack of toilet facilities. The ones in Wisconsin and Michigan are far more useful with their toilet facilities.
Agreed. A port-a-potty is all that's really required for the truly desperate.
I'd say a tree is all that's really required for the truly desperate, at least for men anyway. (I try to avoid having to "sit" on long road trips whenever possible, although I can think of one instance where I was stricken and wound up hiding behind a bridge abutment. It sounds like NE2 might prefer to "sit" in as many public restrooms as possible.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 07, 2013, 09:38:23 AM
I'd say a tree is all that's really required for the truly desperate, at least for men anyway.
not even that. but yes, it is more comfortable to squat while hugging a tree, than to just squat in the open.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 07, 2013, 11:58:11 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 07, 2013, 09:38:23 AM
I'd say a tree is all that's really required for the truly desperate, at least for men anyway.
not even that. but yes, it is more comfortable to squat while hugging a tree, than to just squat in the open.
My reference to a tree was more in the context of taking a leak and of course you're right that a tree isn't required. I simply think a tree is preferable so that you're not standing there in plain view of everyone passing by in case a cop who's having a bad day comes driving along. Though I do recall our July 1989 Boy Scout trip to PEI on which several of us needed to stop to whiz somewhere in the middle of nowhere out on Maine State Route 9 between Bangor and Calais, so we just stopped on the side of the road. The sight of six Boy Scouts and two adult leaders, all in full uniform, lined up and obviously taking leaks seemed to provide great amusement to passing truck drivers who sounded their horns as they passed.
The bigger issue with copping a squat, IMO, is whether you're on a slope and so have to position yourself accordingly lest anything runny come out..... Have I thought too much about such issues from time to time? Maybe. But you'd be surprised how 11-year-old Boy Scouts possessed of the need to piss late at night tend to forget obvious facts like the principle that your stream of urine will flow downhill such that you shouldn't go piss immediately uphill of your tent!
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 07, 2013, 12:08:02 PM
I simply think a tree is preferable so that you're not standing there in plain view of everyone passing by in case a cop who's having a bad day comes driving along.
I generally use the sound test. if the road has plenty of cars, then I walk about 15-20 feet perpendicular to it and go there. in plain sight, just so that a careening vehicle will hopefully attempt to avoid me.
but on a lonely enough road, I feel like if I wait for a moment when I hear absolutely no cars, I'm good for the 20 seconds or so that it takes me to expel the relevant liquid, and I'll go just on the shoulder, or sometimes even in the travel lanes for a low-occupancy road.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 07, 2013, 12:10:58 PM
....
but on a lonely enough road, I feel like if I wait for a moment when I hear absolutely no cars, I'm good for the 20 seconds or so that it takes me to expel the relevant liquid, and I'll go just on the shoulder, or sometimes even in the travel lanes for a low-occupancy road.
Heh. I've done that on the shoulder of Interstate 77 just south of I-81 when traffic was at an utter standstill. I just set the handbrake, left the car stopped in the lane of traffic, and stood on the shoulder doing my business. I was on my way to a football game in Charlotte (Virginia versus West Virginia) and just about all the other cars around were full of West Virginia fans who seemed to appreciate what I was doing (at least, they stopped giving me the finger and yelling profanities long enough to beep their horns and such while I was taking care of business....West Virginia fans seem to have trouble with the idea that if there were no opposing team with its own fanbase, there wouldn't be a game at all).
Just pee against your tire...
Back in the 70s, and probably for sometime after, the Pennsylvania Turnpike had a LOT of roadside picnic areas. Most if not all were west of Harrisburg, IIRC. All they seemed to have was a picnic bench or two, a brick/stone barbecue, and a garbage can. There was a small space off the turnpike shoulder to park, and the picnic areas were identified by a small sign with a tree and picnic table pictogram with the number of feet ahead and/or an arrow pointing.
I think the parking areas for some of these old picnic areas were paved and enlarged, possibly as breakdown areas for trucks?
Picnic tables are really only useful if you're going to go through the trouble to make food at home and pack it with you. If you're buying food on the road, most restaurants are going to have a dining room, so why not eat there? If you do have food and try to eat a picnic table, it's still too impractical to bother. You're going to have to deal with insects while you're eating, but in this part of the country, the worse problem will be the wind trying to blow things around while you're trying to eat (including trying to blow dirt onto your food). No thanks. If I have food from home I want to eat, I'm going to eat it in the car, which I don't necessarily need a designated turnout for; I can just pull over or park in some random lot to eat.
QuotePicnic tables are really only useful if you're going to go through the trouble to make food at home and pack it with you. If you're buying food on the road, most restaurants are going to have a dining room, so why not eat there? If you do have food and try to eat a picnic table, it's still too impractical to bother.
Scott: I've had occasions where it was a nice day and the restaurant I stopped at didn't have outdoor seating, so I'd stop at a park or picnic area or whatnot to enjoy lunch/dinner outside.
QuoteYou're going to have to deal with insects while you're eating, but in this part of the country, the worse problem will be the wind trying to blow things around while you're trying to eat (including trying to blow dirt onto your food).
Oh no! Someone might have to deal with...the outdoors! The horror!
As an aside, you've never gone camping, have you?
In general, I liked them and miss them. At least in Texas, they have been associated with something scenic or historic (at least off the interstates) often enough that I usually stop when I encounter one that is new to me. I made it an element of family road trips to have some sort of snack at these, maybe not a whole meal, but some bit of refreshment during which we would enjoy the view or the shade or the bit of historical information. It saddens me (though I suppose it doesn't surprise me) to hear about how they are mis-used.
Strange. Out here in Oregon, I've only known of two that flat out closed - one was a rest area on I-205 in West Linn frequented by drug dealers (and was otherwise unnecessary, was only for westbound/southbound traffic, and there was another rest area about 15 miles away on I-5 south of Wilsonville), and another one on Oregon 22 that was actually a State Park outside of Salem, also known for drug dealing. I think Oregon did close some off of the Interstates but that's it.
All the ones on I-5 and I-84 are still open, although I guess Oregon doesn't offer any of the full service rest areas that other states might in the east. Same with Washington - I don't believe any of their rest areas on freeways have been shuttered completely.
About two years ago Connecticut tried to close its non-commercial rest areas. This was in the midst of a still-ongoing program to reinvigorate the earning potential of the commercial ones by rebuilding them and expanding their offerings, and I think it seemed logical to eliminate any that didn't pay for themselves. Ultimately, protests from truckers and others led to a reversal.
I'm on the fence, personally. The distances in CT don't necessarily justify having the rest areas. But having spent innumerable hours on those roads late at night, the rest areas at least provided me with someplace I was actually allowed to nap if need be.
Plus, I like the increasing frequency of Boy Scouts and others setting up coffee/snack stands at these.
QuoteI'm on the fence, personally. The distances in CT don't necessarily justify having the rest areas. But having spent innumerable hours on those roads late at night, the rest areas at least provided me with someplace I was actually allowed to nap if need be.
I would agree with you, with the exception of the one on I-84 east of Hartford. That stretch of the interstate is very boring and fairly desolate. It's a nice easy restroom / leg-stretching break between the commercial development around Hartford and the service plazas on the Mass Pike.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 02:27:25 PM
QuoteI'm on the fence, personally. The distances in CT don't necessarily justify having the rest areas. But having spent innumerable hours on those roads late at night, the rest areas at least provided me with someplace I was actually allowed to nap if need be.
I would agree with you, with the exception of the one on I-84 east of Hartford. That stretch of the interstate is very boring and fairly desolate. It's a nice easy restroom / leg-stretching break between the commercial development around Hartford and the service plazas on the Mass Pike.
I agree, but with a large 24-hour truck stop/"travel plaza" one exit east, it's arguably the most redundant.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 08, 2013, 03:16:56 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 02:27:25 PM
QuoteI'm on the fence, personally. The distances in CT don't necessarily justify having the rest areas. But having spent innumerable hours on those roads late at night, the rest areas at least provided me with someplace I was actually allowed to nap if need be.
I would agree with you, with the exception of the one on I-84 east of Hartford. That stretch of the interstate is very boring and fairly desolate. It's a nice easy restroom / leg-stretching break between the commercial development around Hartford and the service plazas on the Mass Pike.
I agree, but with a large 24-hour truck stop/"travel plaza" one exit east, it's arguably the most redundant.
I'd hardly call it redundant. I'd much rather stop at a cutsey little rest area with clean bathrooms and free maps that's right on the interstate than some truck stop, though I'll concede to most people it makes no difference.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 03:32:26 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 08, 2013, 03:16:56 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 02:27:25 PM
QuoteI'm on the fence, personally. The distances in CT don't necessarily justify having the rest areas. But having spent innumerable hours on those roads late at night, the rest areas at least provided me with someplace I was actually allowed to nap if need be.
I would agree with you, with the exception of the one on I-84 east of Hartford. That stretch of the interstate is very boring and fairly desolate. It's a nice easy restroom / leg-stretching break between the commercial development around Hartford and the service plazas on the Mass Pike.
I agree, but with a large 24-hour truck stop/"travel plaza" one exit east, it's arguably the most redundant.
I'd hardly call it redundant. I'd much rather stop at a cutsey little rest area with clean bathrooms and free maps that's right on the interstate than some truck stop, though I'll concede to most people it makes no difference.
Redundant in that it does not provide a service otherwise unavailable (free maps aside). If the truck stop (open since 1996) were there at the time, the rest area would likely not be built.
Those on 91 are a little less clear to me. I doubt there was as much development along the highway in North Haven or Meriden when they were built, but at least the southbound one would seem redundant with Connecticut Turnpike facilities close by.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 08, 2013, 07:30:12 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 03:32:26 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 08, 2013, 03:16:56 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 02:27:25 PM
QuoteI'm on the fence, personally. The distances in CT don't necessarily justify having the rest areas. But having spent innumerable hours on those roads late at night, the rest areas at least provided me with someplace I was actually allowed to nap if need be.
I would agree with you, with the exception of the one on I-84 east of Hartford. That stretch of the interstate is very boring and fairly desolate. It's a nice easy restroom / leg-stretching break between the commercial development around Hartford and the service plazas on the Mass Pike.
I agree, but with a large 24-hour truck stop/"travel plaza" one exit east, it's arguably the most redundant.
I'd hardly call it redundant. I'd much rather stop at a cutsey little rest area with clean bathrooms and free maps that's right on the interstate than some truck stop, though I'll concede to most people it makes no difference.
Redundant in that it does not provide a service otherwise unavailable (free maps aside). If the truck stop (open since 1996) were there at the time, the rest area would likely not be built.
Those on 91 are a little less clear to me. I doubt there was as much development along the highway in North Haven or Meriden when they were built, but at least the southbound one would seem redundant with Connecticut Turnpike facilities close by.
I meant it was not redundant in that the
quality and accessibility are different. Sure, both establishments have restrooms, but the similarities stop there.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 08, 2013, 09:47:42 PMI meant it was not redundant in that the quality and accessibility are different. Sure, both establishments have restrooms, but the similarities stop there.
I hear you, but even that is debatable. I do find the state rest area more convenient, but honestly, if they are going to keep them open they really could stand to spend a few bucks on sprucing up a little. The bathroom fixtures are on their last legs, and the ventilation in there can be abysmal. On a recent trip all men's room traffic was redirected to the port-a-potties, and on another whatever desperate soap replacement they used late at night smelled indescribably bad.
I-295 used to have two north of burlington NJ, between Burlington and Florence NJ. the building got tore down and now it seems to be a NJDOT staging area for repaving. Maybe someone in the know *cough* Steve A. *cough* could chime in on if this is going to dissapear permamentaly, or if it will be rebuilt
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2013, 05:27:43 PM
Back in the 70s, and probably for sometime after, the Pennsylvania Turnpike had a LOT of roadside picnic areas. Most if not all were west of Harrisburg, IIRC. All they seemed to have was a picnic bench or two, a brick/stone barbecue, and a garbage can. There was a small space off the turnpike shoulder to park, and the picnic areas were identified by a small sign with a tree and picnic table pictogram with the number of feet ahead and/or an arrow pointing.
I think the parking areas for some of these old picnic areas were paved and enlarged, possibly as breakdown areas for trucks?
Yes–I don't recall seeing the barbecues (as PA has in the state parks) but the PTC had these simple picnic areas scattered about the older and more rural sections of the PA Turnpike, especially along the 1940-1951 sections from western PA through Valley Forge. Many were still around as late as the mid 2000s when I was in the Harrisburg area. I don't recall seeing them in Bucks County or along the NE Extension, but they might have been there as well.
I haven't been driving the PA Turnpike as much in recent years, but I believe these picnic areas have been steadily disappearing. I have seen places were picnic tables were removed, the wide shoulder repaved, and a vivid sideline painted with signs indicating "TRUCKS PARK BEHIND LINE".
My guess is that the picnic areas had become so infrequently used by motorists and so frequently overrun with truckers sleeping overnight that the PTC decided to make it official. They were a throwback to an earlier era when people weren't as hurried or as willing to spend money on dining out. And an era when traffic was much lighter–when the prospect of cars routinely accelerating from a dead stop on the shoulder wasn't seen as significant safety hazard. I've read that in the '40s, people used to picnic in the
median, which is crazy.
But the picnic areas were pretty cool for roadgeeks, though–a lunch on the ROW.
Quote from: briantroutman on June 10, 2013, 02:39:46 PM
My guess is that the picnic areas had become so infrequently used by motorists and so frequently overrun with truckers sleeping overnight that the PTC decided to make it official. They were a throwback to an earlier era when people weren't as hurried or as willing to spend money on dining out. And an era when traffic was much lighter–when the prospect of cars routinely accelerating from a dead stop on the shoulder wasn't seen as significant safety hazard. I've read that in the '40s, people used to picnic in the median, which is crazy.
But the picnic areas were pretty cool for roadgeeks, though–a lunch on the ROW.
It was only in the early 1940s when they picnicked in the median due to lack of traffic. The gasoline rationing and the 35 mph speed limit (national) during the war had more than a little to do with it.
In the same vein, the PTC still plans to remove the famous steps in New Baltimore leading up to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. (I say "still" because they've had it in the plans for a while but they keep postponing it.)
Quote from: SteveG1988 on June 10, 2013, 01:49:32 PM
I-295 used to have two north of burlington NJ, between Burlington and Florence NJ. the building got tore down and now it seems to be a NJDOT staging area for repaving. Maybe someone in the know *cough* Steve A. *cough* could chime in on if this is going to dissapear permamentaly, or if it will be rebuilt
Who do you think I work for, exactly? Hint: not NJDOT.
Quote from: froggie on June 08, 2013, 01:59:19 AM
QuotePicnic tables are really only useful if you're going to go through the trouble to make food at home and pack it with you. If you're buying food on the road, most restaurants are going to have a dining room, so why not eat there? If you do have food and try to eat a picnic table, it's still too impractical to bother.
Scott: I've had occasions where it was a nice day and the restaurant I stopped at didn't have outdoor seating, so I'd stop at a park or picnic area or whatnot to enjoy lunch/dinner outside.
QuoteYou're going to have to deal with insects while you're eating, but in this part of the country, the worse problem will be the wind trying to blow things around while you're trying to eat (including trying to blow dirt onto your food).
Oh no! Someone might have to deal with...the outdoors! The horror!
As an aside, you've never gone camping, have you?
I have gone camping. But if you want to go camping, you go camping. If I'm on a road trip I don't want to pretend I'm camping and pick bugs out of my sandwich. I think enough people probably feel the same way that the picnic tables are probably not worth the money the state spends building and administering them.
I doubt you have had to try to eat outdoors in Oklahoma wind. 30 mph+ is a common occurrence here. It's a challenge.
It's one of those things I used to like and now I prefer stopping at large truckstops. something they put a bunch of money into just before they were rendered osbsolete. I remember when they put the emergency call boxes every half mile on 35 north of Saint Paul, right before everyone got their own phones. I wonder if they are still there.
QuoteI doubt you have had to try to eat outdoors in Oklahoma wind. 30 mph+ is a common occurrence here. It's a challenge.
Oklahoma, no. Texas Panhandle, yes. There's a neat rest area with a decent view on I-40...don't remember offhand where, but want to say it's somewhere near MM 120, give or take 10.
Quote from: texaskdog on June 11, 2013, 08:29:56 AM
It's one of those things I used to like and now I prefer stopping at large truckstops. something they put a bunch of money into just before they were rendered osbsolete. I remember when they put the emergency call boxes every half mile on 35 north of Saint Paul, right before everyone got their own phones. I wonder if they are still there.
I hate stopping at large truck stops other than for fuel, and only if the fuel is cheap at that. Too much commercial crap to walk past to try to find and then get to the washrooms.
Quote from: Brandon on June 11, 2013, 09:45:44 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on June 11, 2013, 08:29:56 AM
It's one of those things I used to like and now I prefer stopping at large truckstops. something they put a bunch of money into just before they were rendered osbsolete. I remember when they put the emergency call boxes every half mile on 35 north of Saint Paul, right before everyone got their own phones. I wonder if they are still there.
I hate stopping at large truck stops other than for fuel, and only if the fuel is cheap at that. Too much commercial crap to walk past to try to find and then get to the washrooms.
I like to stop at gas stations to get a drink but got tired of the small one with small bathroom that were usually occupied, and nothing worth buying.
I don't like the bathrooms where they make you beg for the key.
that's just demeaning to all parties concerned.
When Irving had their bluecanoe stores, I remember going extea exits to use theirs, they were so well kept. Not so the Circle-K replacements. Clean bathrooms go a long way toward my likelihood to stop someplace, public or private.
If I'm alone, I'd rather nap/sleep at a truck stop or 24 hour gas station/ fast food/ store. If I'm with someone, I'd rather sleep at a rest area. Much quieter and much less light pollution.
That said, I stayed (with Mike) at a Connecticut rest stop a couple of weeks ago. It was lovely and surprisingly good sleep. Glad it was still there.
Quote from: Laura Bianca on June 14, 2013, 09:57:46 AM
If I'm alone, I'd rather nap/sleep at a truck stop or 24 hour gas station/ fast food/ store. If I'm with someone, I'd rather sleep at a rest area. Much quieter and much less light pollution.
That said, I stayed (with Mike) at a Connecticut rest stop a couple of weeks ago. It was lovely and surprisingly good sleep. Glad it was still there.
I prefer sleeping in a hotel parking lot. There are so many other plates from all over around that no one will pay me a second thought, and it's very quiet at night.
I actually been finding Wal Mart Stores to be like rest areas, as you can get out and stretch your legs while you pick up some food and travel items. Even the photo department is a cool place to make photos or discs so you can clear up your sd card. While you accomplish that, you have something to gauge your time.
Matter of fact, in Texarkana while I was waiting for my photos to be processed, I drove around the area taking pictures of the roads. The whole hour was used wisely, as while I was taking care of one thing, another one was.
Also, many Wal Marts have grocery stores within so you can stock up and not have to worry about buying junk food on the road later.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 14, 2013, 05:28:53 PM
I actually been finding Wal Mart Stores to be like rest areas, as you can get out and stretch your legs while you pick up some food and travel items. Even the photo department is a cool place to make photos or discs so you can clear up your sd card. While you accomplish that, you have something to gauge your time.
Matter of fact, in Texarkana while I was waiting for my photos to be processed, I drove around the area taking pictures of the roads. The whole hour was used wisely, as while I was taking care of one thing, another one was.
Also, many Wal Marts have grocery stores within so you can stock up and not have to worry about buying junk food on the road later.
True. McDonald is one of my favorite non-gas stations. Usually decent sized bathrooms, in and out quickly, and you don't feel like you need to buy anything.
The callboxes in Minnesota have been gone for many years, they were sold to the state of Louisiana.
It's interesting that Minnesota built a new rest area with pit toilets in the late 1990s on US 52 south of Rochester.
Quote from: Steve on June 14, 2013, 05:02:51 PM
Quote from: Laura Bianca on June 14, 2013, 09:57:46 AM
If I'm alone, I'd rather nap/sleep at a truck stop or 24 hour gas station/ fast food/ store. If I'm with someone, I'd rather sleep at a rest area. Much quieter and much less light pollution.
That said, I stayed (with Mike) at a Connecticut rest stop a couple of weeks ago. It was lovely and surprisingly good sleep. Glad it was still there.
I prefer sleeping in a hotel parking lot. There are so many other plates from all over around that no one will pay me a second thought, and it's very quiet at night.
I never thought about staying in a hotel parking lot. You've never been bothered there? I guess I assumed a manager would come outside and either ask me to get a room or to go elsewhere.
In Orlando, Florida, you cannot get away with sleeping in hotel parking lots as many hotels have a security checkpoint to pass to enter the facility. In many cases your plate number is recorded if you are not a guest, so on patrol they will spot your car and then take action.
At one time Wal Mart was letting people sleep at night in campers at one of their Kissimmee stores and got in big trouble for doing so by local government officials.
If you really do not want to spend money for a hotel, then pick a rest area. Here in the south, you will not be hassled at all if its in a rural area. In fact I slept overnight at an I-10 rest area in Mississippi and at another time in Florida. Both times I was not given any problems there as well as a third time I did it along US 231 north of Troy, AL at an interstate type of rest facility along that non freeway type of road.
Then you do have some KOAs along interstates that charge $8 (at least the one near Valdosta, GA did) for a tent side, that if you have a van or SUV could use. I do not know for sure if they would frown upon a car being used, but I would imagine that 8 bucks is 8 bucks no matter where it attained from. Plus you can shower and have use of the wash houses as well for more than less than a standard hotel or motel charges for a whole room.
Quote from: Laura Bianca on June 15, 2013, 03:07:11 AM
Quote from: Steve on June 14, 2013, 05:02:51 PM
Quote from: Laura Bianca on June 14, 2013, 09:57:46 AM
If I'm alone, I'd rather nap/sleep at a truck stop or 24 hour gas station/ fast food/ store. If I'm with someone, I'd rather sleep at a rest area. Much quieter and much less light pollution.
That said, I stayed (with Mike) at a Connecticut rest stop a couple of weeks ago. It was lovely and surprisingly good sleep. Glad it was still there.
I prefer sleeping in a hotel parking lot. There are so many other plates from all over around that no one will pay me a second thought, and it's very quiet at night.
I never thought about staying in a hotel parking lot. You've never been bothered there? I guess I assumed a manager would come outside and either ask me to get a room or to go elsewhere.
Maybe I've just picked wisely, but you'd have to probably go to a luxury hotel to be bothered (or be in a bad area, which is not somewhere I'd want to sleep). On my last trip I slept on a side street in Vancouver because the hotel lots were small and required passing the lobby, and I'd already been in each lobby by that point.
Kentucky has a law limiting rest area stops to four hours. I don't know how stringently this is enforced, however, since a lot of trucks will stop at rest areas. Kentucky also has some "rest haven" areas at truck weigh stations where truckers are allowed to stop and sleep for their designated off-duty periods.
Why would local governments object to campers parking at Walmart? If the occupants become customers by going in and buying something, wouldn't they be entitled to stay there as long as they wished? Walmart does have sort of an unofficial policy of letting RVers stop for the night since it builds goodwill and encourages patronage of their stores. I heard once that Kmart has the opposite policy. Might be one reason Walmart is going strong and Kmart is struggling.
Quote from: Laura Bianca on June 15, 2013, 03:07:11 AM
I never thought about staying in a hotel parking lot. You've never been bothered there? I guess I assumed a manager would come outside and either ask me to get a room or to go elsewhere.
twice, in what has to be at least 500 nights spent sleeping in the car.
1) the Days Inn, in Hyannis, MA. August, 2006.
2) the Best Western, in Aurora, CO. October, 2010.
while they have every right to kick interlopers off their premises, I also have every right to give them bad publicity. do not do business with them. congratulations on preserving the sanctity of your empty parking space: just remember that one night's interloper is another night's customer.
Quote from: Laura Bianca on June 14, 2013, 09:57:46 AMIf I'm alone, I'd rather nap/sleep at a truck stop or 24 hour gas station/ fast food/ store. If I'm with someone, I'd rather sleep at a rest area. Much quieter and much less light pollution.
I think being with someone else is important. I usually travel alone and there have been times when I have attempted to nap at rest areas (generally as a result of trying to do too many miles in one day or on too little sleep) and been forced to leave because I sensed something hinky going on. The typical scenario: I pull into a rest area well after dark and am the only one there; another vehicle pulls in; the driver just sits in it, not getting out to go into the bathroom, stretch legs, or do anything else that a law-abiding person would logically be at a rest area to do; I get tired of watching, half-asleep, for the other driver to prove to me that he is not a threat, and leave; the other driver promptly follows me, headlamps in my rearview mirror for mile after mile, until I take drastic and unusual steps to evade him, such as doing an unsignalled turn into a side road and then dousing my headlamps immediately.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 15, 2013, 07:12:51 AMThen you do have some KOAs along interstates that charge $8 (at least the one near Valdosta, GA did) for a tent side, that if you have a van or SUV could use. I do not know for sure if they would frown upon a car being used, but I would imagine that 8 bucks is 8 bucks no matter where it attained from. Plus you can shower and have use of the wash houses as well for more than less than a standard hotel or motel charges for a whole room.
I have only ever roadtripped in a four-door sedan and I have used tent sites at RV campgrounds extensively, not just at KOA-affiliated ones. Tent campers usually get a preferential rate because they don't use some of the facilities that are provided for RVs, such as dump stations. No-one cares what kind of vehicle you drive up in, but many campgrounds enforce quiet hours strictly. Ten years ago I had problems at a KOA near Lincoln City, Oregon, when I pulled into the campground 20 minutes after the start of quiet time at 9 PM and attempted to inflate my air mattress with the tire air compressor. I was able to get some air into the mattress before I was told to cease and desist, but had to tolerate a less-than-firm air cushion that night.
RV campgrounds are indeed much cheaper than hotel rooms while allowing you to lie out flat (which personally I need to be able to do in order to sleep) and giving you access to hot running water for washing. The main disadvantage is exposure to the elements. Most commercially available tents (expect to pay about $50 for a Coleman tent that is suitable for general use by one person) have optional rain covers which keep the rain out effectively, but since tent sites at commercial campgrounds lose their vegetation after frequent tent-pitching, the tent usually has to go on packed dirt, which quickly becomes liquid mud in a thunderstorm. Packing up a wet tent while keeping the mud off your clothing and the interior of your car trunk is an enormous hassle. In fact, if you camp, you should carry multiple binliners in your trunk to cover just this contingency.
True, State Dot rest areas are being reduced because of competition from motels, Truck Travel Centers, fast food places, & even urbanization. The state economy is also a factor.
State Dot should probably considered getting revenue from leasing the rest areas to fast food businesses or even autopart stores like Autozone. The autopart store could have a small kiosk where people could buy basic things like motoroil or fuel injector cleaner. A fast food business like Carls Jr could set up a mobile truck somewhere during lunch hours. The businesses must pay a fee for using the rest area. Another thing could be revenue from advertisement.
Back in the 90s, I remember there used to be quite a few rest areas along California Highway 99 throughout the Central Valley. Now I noticed there are more truck travel centers than rest areas. The same thing along Interstate 10.
Quote from: jfs1988 on June 16, 2013, 03:30:52 AM
State Dot should probably considered getting revenue from leasing the rest areas to fast food businesses or even autopart stores like Autozone. The autopart store could have a small kiosk where people could buy basic things like motoroil or fuel injector cleaner. A fast food business like Carls Jr could set up a mobile truck somewhere during lunch hours. The businesses must pay a fee for using the rest area. Another thing could be revenue from advertisement.
Federal law prohibits commercial businesses from setting up shop on interstates, including in rest areas. The exceptions found all over the east were grandfathered in.
It is definitely a good idea though.
Would a hipster food truck be allowed in an Interstate rest area?
Several times while driving along I-79 in West Virginia on weekends, I've seen some local organization (youth sports, Boy Scouts, etc.) with a concession trailer at some of the rest areas, selling hot dogs, drinks, etc. Wonder if they get a waiver or if WVDOT just looks the other way?
Quote from: NE2 on June 16, 2013, 11:18:17 AM
Would a hipster food truck be allowed in an Interstate rest area?
They might get a waiver if they are working for a non-profit and the proceeds are for non-profit operations or for charity. Otherwise, no, they're a commercial business.
Quote from: Brandon on June 16, 2013, 07:14:12 PM
Quote from: NE2 on June 16, 2013, 11:18:17 AM
Would a hipster food truck be allowed in an Interstate rest area?
They might get a waiver if they are working for a non-profit and the proceeds are for non-profit operations or for charity. Otherwise, no, they're a commercial business.
Yup, I was at the eastern I-95 NB rest area in CT and there was a church food sale going on. I bought a few baked goods, mostly because they were actually quite delicious-looking and homemade.
Quote from: Steve on June 16, 2013, 10:25:46 PM
Quote from: Brandon on June 16, 2013, 07:14:12 PM
Quote from: NE2 on June 16, 2013, 11:18:17 AM
Would a hipster food truck be allowed in an Interstate rest area?
They might get a waiver if they are working for a non-profit and the proceeds are for non-profit operations or for charity. Otherwise, no, they're a commercial business.
Yup, I was at the eastern I-95 NB rest area in CT and there was a church food sale going on. I bought a few baked goods, mostly because they were actually quite delicious-looking and homemade.
It used to be a staple of long weekends/high travel holidays that there would be free coffee at many rest areas. It is now much more frequent than that in CT, with mainly boy scouts but also other non-profits doing tables of a variety of "free" foods with a prominent donation/pay-what-you-choose bucket. They are especially common at the I-84 Willington rest area.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 17, 2013, 07:12:01 AM
Quote from: Steve on June 16, 2013, 10:25:46 PM
Quote from: Brandon on June 16, 2013, 07:14:12 PM
Quote from: NE2 on June 16, 2013, 11:18:17 AM
Would a hipster food truck be allowed in an Interstate rest area?
They might get a waiver if they are working for a non-profit and the proceeds are for non-profit operations or for charity. Otherwise, no, they're a commercial business.
Yup, I was at the eastern I-95 NB rest area in CT and there was a church food sale going on. I bought a few baked goods, mostly because they were actually quite delicious-looking and homemade.
It used to be a staple of long weekends/high travel holidays that there would be free coffee at many rest areas. It is now much more frequent than that in CT, with mainly boy scouts but also other non-profits doing tables of a variety of "free" foods with a prominent donation/pay-what-you-choose bucket. They are especially common at the I-84 Willington rest area.
MA still does the free coffee thing. During the summer MA rest areas and service plazas also have farmers markets.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 17, 2013, 08:04:05 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 17, 2013, 07:12:01 AM
Quote from: Steve on June 16, 2013, 10:25:46 PM
Quote from: Brandon on June 16, 2013, 07:14:12 PM
Quote from: NE2 on June 16, 2013, 11:18:17 AM
Would a hipster food truck be allowed in an Interstate rest area?
They might get a waiver if they are working for a non-profit and the proceeds are for non-profit operations or for charity. Otherwise, no, they're a commercial business.
Yup, I was at the eastern I-95 NB rest area in CT and there was a church food sale going on. I bought a few baked goods, mostly because they were actually quite delicious-looking and homemade.
It used to be a staple of long weekends/high travel holidays that there would be free coffee at many rest areas. It is now much more frequent than that in CT, with mainly boy scouts but also other non-profits doing tables of a variety of "free" foods with a prominent donation/pay-what-you-choose bucket. They are especially common at the I-84 Willington rest area.
MA still does the free coffee thing. During the summer MA rest areas and service plazas also have farmers markets.
A lot of the interstate Rest Area signs in Ohio used to (don't know if they still do) have fold-down signs which would say SAFETY BREAK/FREE COFFEE. The other 99% of the time when the signs were folded up, a single blue panel would just say PHONE.
North Carolina recently opened what may be the most expensive rest area ever on US 421 near Wilkesboro. But it makes up for it by saving energy (http://ncdot.technology-view.com/wilkes). I drive the route a lot and make sure to stop there. It even has a nature trail, which sounds weird but a quick walk through it can help keep you awake.
Not every rest area has to go to this extreme, but adding in a little sustainable could help keep them open in the long wrong.
Quote from: hbelkins on June 16, 2013, 05:53:44 PM
Several times while driving along I-79 in West Virginia on weekends, I've seen some local organization (youth sports, Boy Scouts, etc.) with a concession trailer at some of the rest areas, selling hot dogs, drinks, etc. Wonder if they get a waiver or if WVDOT just looks the other way?
The waiver does not have to come from the DOT, but from Voc Rehab, which is the agent for the "blind vendors" which have the exclusive contract to operate the vending machines (obviously the vending machines are refilled by commercial non-blind route drivers, but the profit goes to Voc Rehab. The deal is that they have to give something away, generally coffee, and thus its a "safety break", and if you buy something extra, then that is OK.
You will note that WV is in the process of replacing all of its rest areas with brand new buildings. Current WV policy holds that rest areas, especially welcome centers, are important for the "image" of the state and act as a "gateway". After the current projects are done, a new rest area may be built on Corridor G near Williamson, and eventually Corridor H will have several, including a welcome center (very needed on H, as its in very rural area and unlikely to ever have much gas station/restaurant infrastructure.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on June 10, 2013, 01:49:32 PM
I-295 used to have two north of burlington NJ, between Burlington and Florence NJ. the building got tore down and now it seems to be a NJDOT staging area for repaving. Maybe someone in the know *cough* Steve A. *cough* could chime in on if this is going to dissapear permamentaly, or if it will be rebuilt
The buildings are still there. It is extremely unlikely (never say never) that these rest stops will be reopened however.
The southbound rest stop is now used by the Emergency Service Patrol, although I'm not sure exactly in what capacity they use it. Much of the truck parking lot has been either dug up or covered in dirt. The majority of the car parking lot remains, although a huge dirt mound prevents normal access to it. The RV parking lot is the only real pavement still accessible.
During the reconstruction of I-295 in the area, the NB rest stop was used as the staging area for the roadwork, and currently still has some various impliments of construction stocked there. (Technically, I believe the 295 construction zone from Exit 45 to 57 is still active, although I haven't seen any work occur in at least a year or more). During that project, the decel lane for the rest area was removed.
These rest areas were quite large, and the bathrooms were larger than most rest area bathrooms. However, think back to when they first opened...95 was still expected to be built thru New Jersey above Trenton, and 295 would probably have been a popular bypass around Philly. Since 95 was never built and the majority of the thru traffic takes the NJ Turnpike, 295 never gained the expected long-distance thru traffic. While truckers used the rest stops at night, the volume of traffic utilizing them during the day was quite low.
The rest stop on 295 North near the Delaware Memorial Bridge remains, although with limited hours (Wed - Sun, 7:30am to 4:30pm). The size of the building is about the same if you wanted to see how many people the rest area could hold...and why, based on modern standards, it is greately oversized for what was needed at a rest area.
Quote from: SP Cook on June 20, 2013, 07:23:37 AM
The waiver does not have to come from the DOT, but from Voc Rehab, which is the agent for the "blind vendors" which have the exclusive contract to operate the vending machines (obviously the vending machines are refilled by commercial non-blind route drivers, but the profit goes to Voc Rehab. The deal is that they have to give something away, generally coffee, and thus its a "safety break", and if you buy something extra, then that is OK.
Do blind service agencies have some sort of exclusive deal for rest areas everywhere? In Kentucky, profits from rest area vending machines go to the state Department for the Blind (or whatever it's being called this week) and I have noted that in many, many other states.
Quote from: hbelkins on June 20, 2013, 10:21:21 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on June 20, 2013, 07:23:37 AM
The waiver does not have to come from the DOT, but from Voc Rehab, which is the agent for the "blind vendors" which have the exclusive contract to operate the vending machines (obviously the vending machines are refilled by commercial non-blind route drivers, but the profit goes to Voc Rehab. The deal is that they have to give something away, generally coffee, and thus its a "safety break", and if you buy something extra, then that is OK.
Do blind service agencies have some sort of exclusive deal for rest areas everywhere? In Kentucky, profits from rest area vending machines go to the state Department for the Blind (or whatever it's being called this week) and I have noted that in many, many other states.
North Carolina has a similar system. It's run by the Division of Services for the Blind. I didn't know that before now. .
Quote from: hbelkins on June 20, 2013, 10:21:21 AM
Do blind service agencies have some sort of exclusive deal for rest areas everywhere? In Kentucky, profits from rest area vending machines go to the state Department for the Blind (or whatever it's being called this week) and I have noted that in many, many other states.
Federally called the "Randolph - Shephard Act" . Blind vendors get to run all vending facilities on federal property. Most states have a similar program, as does WV (which is where Randolph was from after all) dealing with state and county property.
As to rest areas, it lead to a somewhat confusing situation. The DOH runs the facility and has an attendant who does what attendants do (clean toilets, mow the grass, give away maps, etc) but he can't have a key to the vending machines. The vending machines are tended to by a route driver (obviously not blind) who is a contractor for voc rehab. If the machine cheats you, you have to write to a PO Box in Charleston to get your 80 cents back, which is hardly worth the trouble.
I think the act really pre-dates vending machines, and was originally intended to provide sheltered employment to blind people.
Here is WV's state law:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm?chap=18&art=10G (http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm?chap=18&art=10G)
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 20, 2013, 08:38:08 AMThe buildings are still there. It is extremely unlikely (never say never) that these rest stops will be reopened however.
The southbound rest stop is now used by the Emergency Service Patrol, although I'm not sure exactly in what capacity they use it. Much of the truck parking lot has been either dug up or covered in dirt. The majority of the car parking lot remains, although a huge dirt mound prevents normal access to it. The RV parking lot is the only real pavement still accessible.
During the reconstruction of I-295 in the area, the NB rest stop was used as the staging area for the roadwork, and currently still has some various impliments of construction stocked there. (Technically, I believe the 295 construction zone from Exit 45 to 57 is still active, although I haven't seen any work occur in at least a year or more). During that project, the decel lane for the rest area was removed.
These rest areas were quite large, and the bathrooms were larger than most rest area bathrooms. However, think back to when they first opened...95 was still expected to be built thru New Jersey above Trenton, and 295 would probably have been a popular bypass around Philly. Since 95 was never built and the majority of the thru traffic takes the NJ Turnpike, 295 never gained the expected long-distance thru traffic. While truckers used the rest stops at night, the volume of traffic utilizing them during the day was quite low.
That northbound 295 rest stop has another infamous distinction; it was the rest stop named after Howard Stern by then-Gov. Whitman circa 1995.
It was closed in 2003 by then-Gov. McGreevey due to 'budget cuts' as well as supposed reported sexual activity taking place on the grounds.
Quote from: SP Cook on June 20, 2013, 11:35:25 AM
As to rest areas, it lead to a somewhat confusing situation. The DOH runs the facility and has an attendant who does what attendants do (clean toilets, mow the grass, give away maps, etc) but he can't have a key to the vending machines. The vending machines are tended to by a route driver (obviously not blind) who is a contractor for voc rehab. If the machine cheats you, you have to write to a PO Box in Charleston to get your 80 cents back, which is hardly worth the trouble.
so are
any blind people employed in the supply chain at all?
QuoteI think the act really pre-dates vending machines, and was originally intended to provide sheltered employment to blind people.
1936. there were vending machines then, but they weren't nearly as prevalent as a ratio of vending machines to manned kiosks.
California has a blind-vendor law, so I don't know exactly how the last time I was at the courthouse, I purchased a beverage from someone who was definitely sighted.
Quote from: SP Cook on June 20, 2013, 11:35:25 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on June 20, 2013, 10:21:21 AM
Do blind service agencies have some sort of exclusive deal for rest areas everywhere? In Kentucky, profits from rest area vending machines go to the state Department for the Blind (or whatever it's being called this week) and I have noted that in many, many other states.
Federally called the "Randolph - Shephard Act" . Blind vendors get to run all vending facilities on federal property. Most states have a similar program, as does WV (which is where Randolph was from after all) dealing with state and county property.
Thanks for the education, SP. I always wondered why blind men were always the ones selling candy, cigarettes, etc. in the post office and city hall in my home town, when I was growing up. Now I know.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 16, 2013, 09:22:44 AMFederal law prohibits commercial businesses from setting up shop on interstates, including in rest areas.
And it's high time for this law to be reversed. National chains have obseleted it.
Case in point: in 1956, Wal-Mart "existed" albeit as a single-store entity, which was Walton's Five-and-Dime in downtown Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart as we know it today would not come into existence until 1962. McDonald's had one restaurant, in Des Plains, IL.
East of I-25, there is a severe truck parking shortage, and I do mean
severe. Most places, if you don't get parked by 7pm or so, you're SOL until midnight. Then, you have a few minutes to grab a spot as some people leave after they've picked up hours on their recap, then you're SOL until around 6am. The Ohio turnpike needs to become a model for the nation, in this regard. Large, well-kept commercialized plazas with HUGE truck parking, every ~30 miles. With the electronic log mandate going into effect soon, especially with the Hours-of-Service changes going into effect next month, the shit is really about to hit the fan as far as truck parking is concerned.
I'm glad I'm going local soon, to say the least.
A lot of the ones in Arkansas have been shut down because they attract crime. Oh well.
Quote from: ChoralScholar on June 24, 2013, 02:08:13 AM
A lot of the ones in Arkansas have been shut down because they attract crime. Oh well.
Have they ever heard of video surveillance or police patrols? The ones in Illinois warn of video surveillance upon exiting the freeway.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on June 23, 2013, 10:27:24 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 16, 2013, 09:22:44 AMFederal law prohibits commercial businesses from setting up shop on interstates, including in rest areas.
And it's high time for this law to be reversed. National chains have obseleted it.
Case in point: in 1956, Wal-Mart "existed" albeit as a single-store entity, which was Walton's Five-and-Dime in downtown Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart as we know it today would not come into existence until 1962. McDonald's had one restaurant, in Des Plains, IL.
East of I-25, there is a severe truck parking shortage, and I do mean severe. Most places, if you don't get parked by 7pm or so, you're SOL until midnight. Then, you have a few minutes to grab a spot as some people leave after they've picked up hours on their recap, then you're SOL until around 6am. The Ohio turnpike needs to become a model for the nation, in this regard. Large, well-kept commercialized plazas with HUGE truck parking, every ~30 miles. With the electronic log mandate going into effect soon, especially with the Hours-of-Service changes going into effect next month, the shit is really about to hit the fan as far as truck parking is concerned.
I'm glad I'm going local soon, to say the least.
So what's the relationship between a chain of stores operating off the highway vs. truck parking?
If anything, the need for truck parking can also be handled by private companies. Loves, Pilot, Flying J, etc all cater to that market, and they can build in areas where truckers would benefit with having more parking available.
Because there's truck parking at toll road service areas.
Quote from: Brandon on June 24, 2013, 06:28:19 AM
Quote from: ChoralScholar on June 24, 2013, 02:08:13 AM
A lot of the ones in Arkansas have been shut down because they attract crime. Oh well.
Have they ever heard of video surveillance or police patrols? The ones in Illinois warn of video surveillance upon exiting the freeway.
These had cameras, but I guess they were not monitored, just recorded in case there was a crime.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 24, 2013, 09:34:19 AMIf anything, the need for truck parking can also be handled by private companies. Loves, Pilot, Flying J, etc all cater to that market, and they can build in areas where truckers would benefit with having more parking available.
They try, and they get shot down by city council after city council after city council. Seems people want the freight we bring, but then want us to immediately GTFO of their town/city/whatever. Nevermind that we, oh,
sustain all of modern life as we know it.
Someone has an inflated ego.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on June 25, 2013, 11:22:05 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 24, 2013, 09:34:19 AMIf anything, the need for truck parking can also be handled by private companies. Loves, Pilot, Flying J, etc all cater to that market, and they can build in areas where truckers would benefit with having more parking available.
They try, and they get shot down by city council after city council after city council. Seems people want the freight we bring, but then want us to immediately GTFO of their town/city/whatever. Nevermind that we, oh, sustain all of modern life as we know it.
Some municipalities welcome them, others seem to treat them as if they had the Plague.
As an example, in the early 1980s, a truck stop was looking at building on unincorporated land at the NW corner of the US-30/I-55 interchange. They wanted to annex to a municipality for water and sewer services. They first approached Plainfield, the logical choice being on that side of I-55. Plainfield told them to F.O. Joliet, on the other hand, went to the trouble of horizontal drilling under I-55 to serve the truck stop with water and sewer (the truck stop paid for it through a special tax over time) and annexed the truck stop with its tax revenue. Now, the truck stop is closed, and the land may be redeveloped as a shopping center. Due to the attitude of Plainfield, the shopping center tax revenue (if built) will be shared between Plainfield and Joliet, with Joliet serving the property with water and sewer.
Quote from: NE2 on June 25, 2013, 01:24:48 PM
Someone has an inflated ego.
Nothing I said is exaggerated or factually incorrect, so please elaborate on how you came to this conclusion.
Quote from: Brandon on June 26, 2013, 10:21:19 AMNow, the truck stop is closed, and the land may be redeveloped as a shopping center. Due to the attitude of Plainfield, the shopping center tax revenue (if built) will be shared between Plainfield and Joliet, with Joliet serving the property with water and sewer.
Hopefully PFJ, Love's or TA/Petro will snap the place up before that can happen. That area is at a serious deficiency of truck parking. If you want a spot at the TA in Morris, you better get there by 4pm, or otherwise have $15 to pony up to spend the night...IF they have any reserved spots left. And just forget the Pilot in Minooka, that place is always a CF. Almost always full, and when it's not, the line coming off the fuel island (going through the parking) is always backed up...plus the rows are too close together, making parking difficult.
Quote from: ChoralScholar on June 24, 2013, 02:08:13 AM
A lot of the ones in Arkansas have been shut down because they attract crime. Oh well.
Only the ones near Morrilton, to my knowledge, because someone was murdered and AHTD is too cheap for security cameras.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on June 26, 2013, 11:43:32 AM
Quote from: NE2 on June 25, 2013, 01:24:48 PM
Someone has an inflated ego.
Nothing I said is exaggerated or factually incorrect, so please elaborate on how you came to this conclusion.
Quote from: Brandon on June 26, 2013, 10:21:19 AMNow, the truck stop is closed, and the land may be redeveloped as a shopping center. Due to the attitude of Plainfield, the shopping center tax revenue (if built) will be shared between Plainfield and Joliet, with Joliet serving the property with water and sewer.
Hopefully PFJ, Love's or TA/Petro will snap the place up before that can happen. That area is at a serious deficiency of truck parking. If you want a spot at the TA in Morris, you better get there by 4pm, or otherwise have $15 to pony up to spend the night...IF they have any reserved spots left. And just forget the Pilot in Minooka, that place is always a CF. Almost always full, and when it's not, the line coming off the fuel island (going through the parking) is always backed up...plus the rows are too close together, making parking difficult.
I doubt it will ever be a truck stop ever again. It's too close to a mall that's 95-98% occupied and has a serious lack of available properties for development or redevelopment (just the former K-Mart/MyGofer and the former Movies 8) nearby.
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 20, 2013, 11:57:54 AM
It was closed in 2003 by then-Gov. McGreevey due to 'budget cuts' as well as supposed reported sexual activity taking place on the grounds.
We got a rest area on A-10/55 in Quebec closed for the same reasons, most of the reported sexual activities (and others unorthodox activities) was closed and replaced by a truck inspection station. http://goo.gl/maps/LE3M1
The Neshaminy Service Plaza on I-276/Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bucks County was torn down to build an eastbound only/EZ-Pass only exit to Parx Casino & Racing. The exit is redundant because you can take US 1 south to PA 132/Street Road east to get there. Without the service plaza, the nearest one is the King of Prussia Service Plaza.
There's also a service plaza on the Garden State Parkway that had a Roy Rogers, but it closed and it is now all self-service with vending machines.
The best full-service ones I know of are the Frank S. Farley Service Plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway and the Allentown Service Plaza on I-476/PA Turnpike Northeast Extension.
Quote from: Brandon on June 26, 2013, 10:21:19 AM
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on June 25, 2013, 11:22:05 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 24, 2013, 09:34:19 AMIf anything, the need for truck parking can also be handled by private companies. Loves, Pilot, Flying J, etc all cater to that market, and they can build in areas where truckers would benefit with having more parking available.
They try, and they get shot down by city council after city council after city council. Seems people want the freight we bring, but then want us to immediately GTFO of their town/city/whatever. Nevermind that we, oh, sustain all of modern life as we know it.
Some municipalities welcome them, others seem to treat them as if they had the Plague.
Truck stops are rare in the northeast, as has been pointed out. Particularly new ones. Still, I remember reading a local article from the time that celebrated the arrival of the new TA in Willington, CT., because Willington is not exactly a tax mine (nor a job center).
Interestingly, the nearby Sturbridge Isle/Flying J/Pilot truck stop has descended into "just kind of there" even though it predates the TA. I think the fact that it hangs on is a testament to the real lack of dedicated truck facilities in this part of the country.
Quote from: US71 on June 26, 2013, 11:45:08 AM
Quote from: ChoralScholar on June 24, 2013, 02:08:13 AM
A lot of the ones in Arkansas have been shut down because they attract crime. Oh well.
Only the ones near Morrilton, to my knowledge, because someone was murdered and AHTD is too cheap for security cameras.
It had security cameras - and signs that warned of video surveillance. ATHD shut down another one on I-40 EB between Exit 142 and I-430 for similar reasons. That one was shut down many years ago.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 27, 2013, 09:04:25 PMInterestingly, the nearby Sturbridge Isle/Flying J/Pilot truck stop has descended into "just kind of there" even though it predates the TA. I think the fact that it hangs on is a testament to the real lack of dedicated truck facilities in this part of the country.
Simple explanation: the TA charges per night to park, the Pilot does not.
That's very interesting. The last time I was out there I was told by an employee that the main building is actually condemned. The place really is sort of an isle of mystery.
I remember back in the 90s that Sturbridge Isla was a really busy place. That main building is (was?) really nice inside and had a great restaurant, a gift shop, ice cream stand, take-out pizza place, showers for truckers, and a tourist info center. The restaurant had a very popular sunday night buffet. The place was always busy.
At some point around 1999-2000, the restaurant changed owners and then soon closed. It seemed without the main restaurant, the number of customers dropped and soon the gift shop and other places in the main building closed (most travelers looking for quick food go to the Sbarros/Roy Rogers just up the road, or to any of the many places on US-20). It's been completely shuttered for at least 10 years now. I'm surprised nobody's tried re-opening it.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on June 26, 2013, 11:43:32 AM
Quote from: NE2 on June 25, 2013, 01:24:48 PM
Someone has an inflated ego.
Nothing I said is exaggerated or factually incorrect, so please elaborate on how you came to this conclusion.
I believe it. Interchange 4 of the NJ Turnpike sits in Mt. Laurel, NJ, and they benefit from a lot of the exiting traffic with all the hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area. But when the NJ Turnpike wanted to build a truck-only service plaza in Mt. Laurel, in which trucks would never even have to leave the Turnpike, the town would barely entertain the thought, much less approve it.
In another case, the current Turnpike widening project goes thru Bordentown, NJ. At a public meeting, a township council person stood up and blasted the project, claiming he doesn't want all the additional traffic, including truck traffic, going thru his town. It struck me as odd as most of the traffic would just remain on the turnpike, and his town plays host to several truck stops for the traffic that does exit the Turnpike.