Kaine administration wants to commercialize rest areas
Published: July 16, 2009
Virginia officials are seeking a change in federal law that would allow the private sector to run the state's interstate rest areas.
A spokesman for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine says Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer sent a letter this morning to members of the delegation requesting the change. Gordon Hickey says federal law requires states to run interstate rest areas but some states have obtained waivers or exemptions.
Virginia transportation officials are struggling with a $2.6 billion budget shortfall and plan to close 19 interstate areas to save money.
Yesterday, AAA Mid-Atlantic asked Kaine to rethink the closures.
-- The Associated Press
Reader Reactions
This is PUBLIC Property and should not be privatized. The taxpayers have already paid for the buildings, roads, bathrooms and parking. Why should some company step in and make a profit off of taxpayer facilities. I doubt a private company will leave them free of charge. We have already paid with out TAX money Mr.Governor.
The commercial rest areas up north are all on toll roads and are heavily regulated by the respective toll road authorities. None of that is free. And it’s not clear that all of the rest areas are profitable.
Wow- maybe since he wants to privatize it he can get Northrup-Grumman/VITA to manage it. Maybe this is something they can’t f up.
I hope this works!! Think about the brisk business at either Maryland House or Chesepeake House in Maryland. That is a stop we always make when we travel north. There are lines there at 2:00 in the morning. I would rather stop at a “rest area” then drive off the interstate and attempt to find someplace to stop and then worry about getting back on.
Respectfully disagreeing. The free market would warrant those spots to be leased to whomever wants to attempt to make a profit.
If those entailed businesses didn’t want to use the location, with riders attached, they’re free to locate on exits.
However, after traveling Northward, having these locations located in the rest areas in the middle of the highway were booming with business, and make flow easier than exiting, and driving an unknown location for unknown distances.
If I owned a restaurant, convenience store or the like, I would be more than displeased with this competitive disadvantage this plan offers.
If I recalled, when the two New Kent rest areas were closed, the businesses at Bottoms Bridge and nearby exits had rather robust increases.
If the traffic at these`exits warranted additional businesses staying ope later, I have enough faith in entrepreneurship that the market would meet that need.
TIMMY BOY FINALLY COMES THRU! Last minute, but none the less! Yes, there have been a plethora of commenters (including myself) that stated “LEASE IT OUT!“
As to the policing of the areas, make that part of the leasee’s responsibility. Trust me, if you don’t think that restaurants, and convenience stores wouldn’t pay top dollar for a CAPTIVE audience!?!? You’ve got another thing coming.
South of the boarder Virginia franchisees are all welcome, big ol dude with a sombrero off the interstate near Charlottesville.
I love it, just make sure we have access to the same type of fireworks as South Carolina and I’m in!
Interesting. But who will police it and who pays for that?
As many, most recently the AAA, has pointed out, the rest areas are a crucial component of public safety. Yet, Gordon Hickey, Kaine’s spokesman, recently said the Governor would not consider using “public safety” funds to keep them open.
Given their importance to both public safety and tourism, both public safety and tourism funds should be utilized to keep them open until a better solution can be found.
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