Rest Areas Welcome Centers

Author : Kenneth A. Winter
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 17 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (325 download)

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Download or read book Rest Areas written by Kenneth A. Winter and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Efforts to privatize rest areas and welcome centers on Interstate highways have been steadily progressing for 40 years. Today the idea of rest area privatization (or any commercialization beyond vending machines and information booths) continues to be explored by state DOTs, AASHTO, USDOT and FHWA. In addition, support in Congress to reform transportation policies related to rest areas has been increasing. In the 1960s, during development of the interstate highway system, state and federal fuel tax receipts were sufficient to fund the maintenance of existing rest facilities and provide for expansion through new construction, including the maintenance and development of new rest areas. However, with the rapid growth in VMT and limited growth in revenues from gas taxes, funding for the development of public rest areas has become a lower priority (Kress and Dornbusch, 1991, 1). Clearly, the environment and context in which rest areas were initially developed has undergone tremendous change. However, today DOTs are being forced to prioritize their inventories of structures, and keeping bridges and other critical structures maintained in a time of limited resources takes priority over rest areas. Why weren't rest areas privatized decades ago? When Congress created the Interstate Highway System in 1956, community leaders feared that local businesses, jobs (and their tax base) would shrink if motorists bypassed their cities and towns. In response, Congress enacted legislation prohibiting development on the interstate rights-of-way under section 111 of title 23 United States Code. Since then, rest areas have not been able to offer large-scale commercial services, such as food, fuel, and merchandise at rest areas built after January 1, 1960. It should be noted that some states have commercialized existing service plazas along the interstate system that were grandfathered because the facilities predated the Federal Interstate Highway System. Ironically, since the early 1990s, many State DOTs (including VDOT) have maintained a conservative stance on scheduling and funding rest area and welcome center refurbishment and construction, in the event that legislative changes might "soon" permit the private sector to bear such costs. Meanwhile, many private companies began approaching states with plans for the development of expanded commercial services in such areas, offering to bear the construction and maintenance costs. While the efforts of those firms have been rebuffed, at this point they are likely well positioned to pull those plans back out should an opportunity arise. Like DOTs, they too are waiting.