Why are so many rest stops closed?

[holstein13]

I'm heading west from NC on my way to Los Angeles along I-40. I've noticed that about 30% of the rest stops are closed. Why is that? Is it because of budget cuts, restoration, abuses by travelers?

It can be a real hardship when there are so few rest stops to begin with and then you find the one you need is closed and the next one isn't for another 100 miles or more.

It's particularly disruptive to me because I'm traveling solo on this trip and I don't have a navigator or travel planner working while I'm driving. The other day, I wanted to camp in Little Rock and had planned to reserve my campsite at the last rest stop before entering Little Rock. When I got there, the rest stop was closed. Now I was in a pickle. I had to find an exit and pull over at the side of the road to figure things out.

ON EDIT: Please do not mention politics in your responses. If you think they are closed because of budget considerations, you can say that, just don't blame a political party or politics, etc. Let's try and stick with the facts without politics. I fear the thread will get shut down prematurely otherwise.

[2112]

mlts22 wrote:
People mention Texas. From what I see, there are a few "safety rest stops" that are built... but there are -so many- that have been destroyed in the past few years.

For example, there used to be rest stops on roads which had step-ladders, allowing people to go over the fence to use the farmland. Those are gone. Others (like the one on 71 between Austin and Bastrop) have been fenced in. Still others like the rest stop between 290 in Elgin and Giddings have had all their picnic stuff removed, and are, at best, unmarked turn-offs. The closest rest stop to me, in Austin, is over 100 miles away, when just a few years ago, one could go out many roads and find a picnic table.

It makes me just wonder... is crime in the US so bad that just having a place to pull off a highway for the night is too big a risk for the state of Texas to allow? I hate increased surveillance, but couldn't a rest stop with a set of high-res cameras for security do a decent job at deterring crime, if only having a license plate reader to catch potential getaway vehicles.

It would be nice to see some type of rest stops come back onto not just the big highways (I-10, I-35), but smaller roads as well, since it would be nice to crash out in the middle of rural Texas as opposed to trying to find a town that is big enough to have a Wal-Mart, but doesn't have an anti-overnighting regulation.

What I have noticed over the years is the byway picnic areas have become less used by travelers and frequent more by the locals of the area. I find the locals using the trash containers as their personal trash pickup point. The picnic area overlooking the Guadalupe river valley on 90A outside Shiner is a perfect example. The trash containers were ALWAYS full of household trash, not something a traveler would leave behind. The locals either have to burn it, pay for trash service or dump it. Dumping it at the state funded picnic area is like acquiring a free trash service. I also notice more trash scattered about the picnic areas in general. Soiled diapers have become common.

You mentioned a fence crossing. There was one years ago at a picnic area on 90A outside of Eagle Lake so travelers could go behind the trees to 'make water'. Again, the locals started dumping their trash on the private land across the fence. So now the crossing is gone and the fence is 6' tall.

There was a small one on 77A outside of Hallettsville where we used to stop years ago to take a break and pick up pecans during season. It too started having the same trash issue so now it's a thing of the past. The picnic tables and pavement have been removed and now it's just a small gravel pull out.

I think part of the problem of losing this type of stop is abuse and lack of respect. I do miss them.

Go to the one overlooking Wimberley on the Devil's Backbone. Now it has a tall fence with all kinds of makeshift memorials hanging on the fence. What's up with that?

[rk911]

Strabo wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Closed..........for all the reasons mentioned

As for 'planning'

You're in a 'self-contained RV'

Pull over at an exit/side road/wide spot.......and then use your facilities as needed.

5 yrs of FTng with a dog and a GF with small bladder.
You just pull over where safe.
Having spent 30+ yrs in CA-never counted on an Open Rest Area. Few and far.

Lol, exactly what I was thinking. I'd park on the side of the road anywhere and....Rest, you don't need a designated area to do it.

true, a rest area is not 'needed' but it's a heckuva lot safer than pulling off on tne shoulder of an interstate hwy (where the majority of rext areas are located). if no
rest areas we'll chk 'next exit' and look for a wally, mall, etc...anything with a large pking lot.

[Strabo]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Closed..........for all the reasons mentioned

As for 'planning'

You're in a 'self-contained RV'

Pull over at an exit/side road/wide spot.......and then use your facilities as needed.

5 yrs of FTng with a dog and a GF with small bladder.
You just pull over where safe.
Having spent 30+ yrs in CA-never counted on an Open Rest Area. Few and far.

Lol, exactly what I was thinking. I'd park on the side of the road anywhere and....Rest, you don't need a designated area to do it.

[azdryheat]

We found that Florida I-10 has rest stops about every 30 miles. Louisiana I-10 doesn't have any.

[American_Roadtr]

On a light not it's not just older people that need frequent stops. I'm 44 and I have to stop a few times every few hours. Pulling into gas stations and finding a place to turn around easy takes about 15 minutes out of the trip. Having to hold it can be a nightmare at times. I have noticed that there aren't many rest stops. If it's not a busy expressway I usually just pull off the road for a min and have my wife check our tow straps while I use our bathroom.

[pitch]

I just looked at NY DOT website. Dot maintains 38 rest stops and the Thruway authority another 27.

[mlts22]

People mention Texas. From what I see, there are a few "safety rest stops" that are built... but there are -so many- that have been destroyed in the past few years.

For example, there used to be rest stops on roads which had step-ladders, allowing people to go over the fence to use the farmland. Those are gone. Others (like the one on 71 between Austin and Bastrop) have been fenced in. Still others like the rest stop between 290 in Elgin and Giddings have had all their picnic stuff removed, and are, at best, unmarked turn-offs. The closest rest stop to me, in Austin, is over 100 miles away, when just a few years ago, one could go out many roads and find a picnic table.

It makes me just wonder... is crime in the US so bad that just having a place to pull off a highway for the night is too big a risk for the state of Texas to allow? I hate increased surveillance, but couldn't a rest stop with a set of high-res cameras for security do a decent job at deterring crime, if only having a license plate reader to catch potential getaway vehicles.

It would be nice to see some type of rest stops come back onto not just the big highways (I-10, I-35), but smaller roads as well, since it would be nice to crash out in the middle of rural Texas as opposed to trying to find a town that is big enough to have a Wal-Mart, but doesn't have an anti-overnighting regulation.

[RGar974417]

How can you not mention politics? They are closing them because they don't have the money to keep them up.

[msgtord]

Arizona rest areas were closed due to budget cuts back in 2008 and 2009. State workers took pay cuts, were laid off, or forced to retire.

Unfortunately, due to neglect during the closures, most of the rest areas would have to be torn down as it is cost prohibitive to try to bring the areas up to code.

Even with the economy on the rise, it will take years to make up for all of the neglect on our infrastructure. You have to figure at least one million dollars per mile of interstate, and multi millions for bridge repair or replacement.

The real downside to the closures is the safety factor. More rest areas results in less sleepy drivers, and less rollovers.

[hooligan]

Florida a few years ago reduced the number of rest areas primarily for security. Those that remained open had round-the clock security. Now the security is provided in all rest area overnight and evenings.
Link and Map here

Funding and septic problems were also a factor. Florida used to allow overnight in rest areas, no longer..

[NYCgrrl]

I don't recall seeing a list of states' or regions with permanent rest stop closures? Any one can help with that?

[monkey44]

One of the problems with "budget blaming" -- the states shut down because it costs $$$$$ to maintain and repair, so we'd wonder if the people in charge of rest stops continue employment? With nothing to supervise, they go to meetings and say, "Well, another year with no budget." End of meeting.

[Damdifino]

I've come close to pulling off on the shoulder and peeing by the side of the road. Sleep is an issue, too. I'm not an actuary, but I have to wonder if just one accident involving fatalities wouldn't cost the state more than keeping a rest area open for a year.

[ljr]

Government 101. True at any level for any party. When you want to make a case for raising revenue you cut the most visible services.

[Stefonius]

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.