Why are so many rest stops closed?

W4RLR wrote:
New laws regarding accessibility for the disabled means that many rest areas with sanitary facilities must be extensively refurbished or completely rebuilt to comply with federal regulations.

I think W4RLR raised an important point. After the passage of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) in 1990, any rest stop that received a renovation, update or upgrade would automatically be required to become fully accessible to disabled patrons. The cost of doing that can be extremely prohibitive, especially when the topography or infrastructure doesn't lend itself easily to the process. I have seen many businesses near me close down when faced with the cost of an ADA-compliant remodel, and there are more than a few that simply haven't done any work on their facilities for 25 years.