Are rest areas a thing of the past?

[deathtopumpkins]

Hmmm.... so they spend millions replacing almost-new signs with clearview ones, and then close the rest areas to cover their debt. What the hell. I've stopped at some of those lots of times. They're actually something we could use, and having nice modern rest areas (at least the ones I stop at) even sends a good message to out-of-state people!

VDOT, what little faith in you I had left is now gone.

[Alex]

Hmmm.... so they spend millions replacing almost-new signs with clearview ones, and then close the rest areas to cover their debt. What the hell. I've stopped at some of those lots of times. They're actually something we could use, and having nice modern rest areas (at least the ones I stop at) even sends a good message to out-of-state people!

VDOT, what little faith in you I had left is now gone.

Well put, I could not agree with you more. DelDOT has done the same thing with regards to their signage, and now are using Clearview on new assemblies. All of that while dealing with a $2-billion plus budget deficit...

At least for the Delaware Turnpike Service Plaza, the demolition and reconstruction is not tax-payer supported, as the facility will be privately run. It does make me wonder if the Delaware Tourist Information Center booth will return. That is one of the few places where one may stop and get a free Transportation Map.

[hbelkins]

Hmmm.... so they spend millions replacing almost-new signs with clearview ones, and then close the rest areas to cover their debt. What the hell. I've stopped at some of those lots of times. They're actually something we could use, and having nice modern rest areas (at least the ones I stop at) even sends a good message to out-of-state people!

VDOT, what little faith in you I had left is now gone.

VDOT isn't actively replacing with Clearview JUST for the sake of replacing with Clearview (a la Michigan), are they?

I've only seen limited applications of Clearview in Virginia, certainly not as widespread as Michigan. Or even Arkansas.

[deathtopumpkins]

Well since the Clearview craze started I haven't gotten out of Hampton Roads much, but all our freeways around here had their signs replaced, even ones that were just put a few years ago when some reconstruction along I-64 was completed.

It's hard to find non-Clearview ones around here now, at least on freeway mainlines.

[WillWeaverRVA]

As far as I can tell, most VDOT jurisdictions outside of Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia are using Clearview signage on newer or replacement signs. There's noticeably less Clearview outside those areas.

[SSOWorld]

Lets keep the Clearview sign talk in its topic and keep this thread on topic guys

[froggie]

there are plenty of places to park.  Just pull a little further off the off-ramp and no one minds your presence.

Except in those states/locations where parking anywhere along the off-ramp is illegal...

[agentsteel53]

Except in those states/locations where parking anywhere along the off-ramp is illegal...

oops, didn't make myself clear.  I meant off the off-ramp to the extent of being parked alongside the frontage road or whatnot.  I've caught many a quality Z in such locations!

[roadfro]

Apparently visitor centers aren't a thing of the past for Nevada DOT either...

Currently, Nevada has visitor centers off of I-15 at Primm and in Mesquite, in Boulder City near US 93, and off of I-80 in West Wendover.  Each of these is off of its respective highway, usually on a business or former route.  There are two major entry points to Nevada that do not currently have a visitor center: US 95 south of Boulder City and I-80 near Reno.

NDOT is planning to build a new visitor center will full rest area facilities on US 95, about 1-1/2 miles north of the Laughlin Highway (SR 163).  According to a project summary brief on NDOT's website posted in July, the project should be in final design now with anticipated construction starting in late winter or early spring 2010.  This center will actually be built within existing US 95 right of way--which makes sense, given that there's nothing else surrounding this location.

[PAHighways]

The PTC has closed numerous service plazas in this decade after not closing any for almost two decades.  The first was the Butler Service Plaza for construction of the Warrendale Toll Plaza, the Zelienople Service Plaza/Welcome Center east of PA Turnpike 60 because of low usage, and more recently the Hempfield Service Plaza due to the widening of the Irwin to New Stanton section and the plaza's exit ramp interfered with the Exit 75 off-ramp.

[hm insulators]

Arizona is planning on closing a number of rest areas, including two out of the three between Phoenix and California on I-10.

[rawmustard]

I noticed welcome centers in Wisconsin in both Hurley and southeast of Superior had the words "WELCOME CENTER" boarded up or greened out, with the one in Hurley directing travelers to a tourist info center closer to downtown. (I didn't stop at the latter, but I can only guess it directed travelers to the Richard I. Bong World War II exhibit in town (where I stopped to briefly check out), which is where several tourist brochures were housed. I can only hope the one near Beloit (which I visited earlier this year) hasn't met the same fate.

[Sykotyk]

Hmmm.... so they spend millions replacing almost-new signs with clearview ones, and then close the rest areas to cover their debt. What the hell. I've stopped at some of those lots of times. They're actually something we could use, and having nice modern rest areas (at least the ones I stop at) even sends a good message to out-of-state people!

VDOT, what little faith in you I had left is now gone.

http://probablybadnews.com/2009/10/11/funny-news-headlines-government-logic/


Sykotyk

[mightyace]

On our recent trip to Georgia, my brother and I tried to stop at the welcome center just south of the border of Tennessee on I-75.  It was in the evening about 9pm, so we expected the Welcome Center itself to be closed, but most state still leave the rest rooms open and some tourist information, but not here!  The whole place was closed!

Some welcome! 

[D-Dey65]

VDOT is about to close 18 rest areas as of July 21 and the I-66 WB Manassas Welcome Center September 16

Virginia Rest Stops Close

The state has a 2.6 billion dollar revenue shortfall. To cut spending, the commonwealth transportation board voted to cut the number of rest stops from 42 to 23. It'll save 8. 6 million dollars.

The ones closed are:

Interstate 95

• MP 155 - Dale City Car-Only Safety Rest Area south
• MP 155 - Dale City Car-Only Safety Rest Area north
• MP 107 - Ladysmith Safety Rest Area south
• MP 107 - Ladysmith Safety Rest Area north

* - the truck rest areas remain open at Dale City

Okay, this sucks. I've been to the Dale City rest areas, and I filled out one of their comment card to let them know that one of their handicapped ramps had some huge weeds sprouting out of them. I got a letter from a company that's in charge of those rest areas apologizing for whatever inconvenience the ramp may've caused me. Of course it didn't cause me any inconvenience whatstoever, because I don't use a wheelchair.


I thought maybe they'd spray the ramps with weed killer or maybe replace the concrete or something. But instead they're closing them completley. Bah!

[rawmustard]

The Chicago Tribune (actually from the AP upon further review) has an article today about closing rest areas throughout the country. It has a pretty nice history of the rest area as well, and I'm planning to check the sites referenced.

[Alps]

Okay, this sucks. I've been to the Dale City rest areas, and I filled out one of their comment card to let them know that one of their handicapped ramps had some huge weeds sprouting out of them. I got a letter from a company that's in charge of those rest areas apologizing for whatever inconvenience the ramp may've caused me. Of course it didn't cause me any inconvenience whatstoever, because I don't use a wheelchair.


I thought maybe they'd spray the ramps with weed killer or maybe replace the concrete or something. But instead they're closing them completley. Bah!

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! 

[deathtopumpkins]

Okay, this sucks. I've been to the Dale City rest areas, and I filled out one of their comment card to let them know that one of their handicapped ramps had some huge weeds sprouting out of them. I got a letter from a company that's in charge of those rest areas apologizing for whatever inconvenience the ramp may've caused me. Of course it didn't cause me any inconvenience whatstoever, because I don't use a wheelchair.


I thought maybe they'd spray the ramps with weed killer or maybe replace the concrete or something. But instead they're closing them completley. Bah!

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! 

Who's got the torches and pitchforks?

[hbelkins]

The governor-elect of Virginia has promised to re-open the rest areas.

[jdb1234]

When traveling to Montgomery earlier today.  I noticed that the I-65 Southbound rest area near Clanton is still closed.  I first noticed it back in August when I was traveling to Mobile.  Not sure if it is closed permanently or not.

Over the past several years, ALDOT has closed several rest area throughout the state.  Some of these were US 280 on top of Double Oak Mountain in Birmingham, US 280 @ AL 147 near Auburn, US 231 N and S of Montgomery, US 31 in Baldwin County, and US 43 in Washington County.

[AZDude]

Arizona is planning on closing a number of rest areas, including two out of the three between Phoenix and California on I-10.

Now, they plan on closing more down.  Nearly all of them in fact.  The one on US 60 near Wickenburg is now closed.   This really sucks.  Rest Areas are one of the best places to stop while on a nice long road trip.

[Interstate275Fla]

Here in Florida, rest areas in my opinion are not a thing of the past.

However, until the Florida DOT instituted security at the rest areas (initially 24 hour security but reduced to nighttime hours only, probably for budgetary reasons) our rest areas were becoming increasingly unsafe.  It took a major incident involving a tourist who stopped at a rest area somewhere on Interstate 10 back in the early 1990's to turn things around as far as patron safety is concerned.  Since then I have seen more and more people stop at rest areas because there was a good sense of security; after all, Florida's number one industry is tourism and in these turbulent economic times tourism is still our state's lifeblood.

The last thing we need here in Florida as far as our rest areas are concerned is the removal of the nighttime security patrols that keep watch over our rest areas.  If this was ever done as a cost saving measure our rest areas would become dangerous.  Based on what I have read here on this post, other states are closing their rest areas entirely as a cost saving measure; I believe their budgets do not allow for some kind of security patrol like Florida's.

[simguy228]

Yep. I believe so. I used to live around Ocala, where there is a reat area on I-75 and if I don't recall, there was a service plaza on FL's Turnpike near Ocala (It may have been the first service plaza you see after 75)

[shadyjay]

Earlier this year, VTrans (Vermont) closed 6 rest areas... 3 on I-89 and 3 on I-91.  Of those closed...

-- I-91 - Springfield NB/SB between Exits 6 & 7 - former parking areas, now signed as weigh stations, and gated.

-- I-91 - White River Jct NB between Exits 9 & 10 - former rest area with facilities, now signed as weigh station and gated.  With this closure, there is now 100 miles between services on I-91.

-- I-89 - Sharon SB after Exit 2 and Randolph NB after Exit 4, both former rest areas with facilities, now signed as weigh stations and gated. 

-- I-89 - Highgate Springs Welcome Center SB at Canadian border


VTrans logic used was that these areas were in close proximity to exits or other facilities.  I was quite happ with the rest areas in Vermont and their placement until this latest round of closures.
Buildings still stand... for now... boarded up.  Perhaps someday they can be rebuilt, but doubtful.

[roadfro]

^ I understand closing and gating the rest areas, but resigning them as weigh stations