Re: Is it true that the Feds mandate "free" rest areas?

On Mar 30, 5:19 am, John Lansford <jlnsf...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Larry G <gross.la...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Mar 29, 4:37 pm, John Lansford <jlnsf...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Larry G <gross.la...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Mar 29, 11:25 am, richard <mem...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:47:21 -0700 (PDT), Larry G

<gross.la...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I ran across this in the paper today with respect to a controversial
plan by VDOT to close a lot of rest areas on Va Interstates as a cost-
saving measure.

"Driving through Maryland on Interstate 95 recently, Mary Lee Carter
of Spotsylvania County stopped at a rest area.

The vast majority of toll roads have service plazas, not rest areas..
Apparently this was Ms. Carter's first road trip.

Ms. Carter is a bit of a rube... who actually represents citizens on
the CTB. her lack of understanding on these issues is a bit scary..

She's also on the planning commission and I'm betting that she is
going to here from the existing businesses in the county that are
located at the interchanges.

As she should; didn't you say yourself in a different thread that
local officials should listen to what the local people have to say?

What I said is that local people have a lot more opportunity to hold
their elected accountable for wrong decisions than further up the
ladder and this goes back to using state funds to do dumb things like
build bypasses because the localed elected refused to protect the
original roads form being co-opted bu businesses for business venues.

And these officials you'd give your local construction money to.  You
really are naive; if voters won't get rid of them for what you call a
"dumbass approach", why do you think they'd do anything differently?

it's really a dumbass approach.. the state builds a very expensive
road and the next thing you know the local elected are approving curb
cuts and median cross-overs for their business buddies ..and then
after a few years..they go crying to VDOT for a bypass.

Yes... ESPECIALLY when we vote to increase our taxes in a road
referenda. We're going to be very unhappy if they use our tax money to
build a road and then crap that road up

Here in NC the DOT has told local officials if we provided a bypass,
they had to sign a paper recognizing NCDOT was not going to do it
again.  I've seen this done several times in areas where development
has overwhelmed the highway system.

the trouble is that in fast growing areas like ours - there are no
easy ways to do a bypass... all options are expensive and full of
existing development.. and require ED and we end up with a lot of
unhappy people and lawsuits.

there's a fundamental flaw in your idea of "telling" local
officials ... if that were true you could also tell them about access
management and save them the cost of the bypass to start with but as
we both know - they often don't listen and they get away with it by
telling the folks who elected them that it's a DOT issue..thus evading
responsibility ...

we need the local citizens to know where to place the blame and hold
folks accountable...

Having the DOT do roads and the local elected do land-use is a bad
deal because land-use can cause very expensive and unnecessary
transportation costs.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Is it true that the Feds mandate "free" rest areas?
    ... plan by VDOT to close a lot of rest areas on Va Interstates as a cost- ... original roads form being co-opted bu businesses for business venues. ... after a few years..they go crying to VDOT for a bypass. ... Here in NC the DOT has told local officials if we provided a bypass, ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Re: Budget Woes Spell Doom for Highway Rest Areas
    ... the rest areas the traffic would have to enter and leave at interchanges ...  Removing them will decrease highway capacity. ... businesses feel quite strongly the other ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Re: Is it true that the Feds mandate "free" rest areas?
    ... plan by VDOT to close a lot of rest areas on Va Interstates as a cost- ... ladder and this goes back to using state funds to do dumb things like ... original roads form being co-opted bu businesses for business venues. ... after a few years..they go crying to VDOT for a bypass. ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Re: Budget Woes Spell Doom for Highway Rest Areas
    ... the rest areas the traffic would have to enter and leave at interchanges ... Removing them will decrease highway capacity. ... Another factor to consider, if a rest area closes, how will the local businesses react to the additional people that want to use their restrooms? ... Most of them may have inadequate restroom capacity, and they may react by closing them to the public, as they have no legal obligation to provide public restrooms. ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Re: Is it true that the Feds mandate "free" rest areas?
    ... of Spotsylvania County stopped at a rest area. ... The vast majority of toll roads have service plazas, not rest areas. ... Apparently this was Ms. Carter's first road trip. ... local officials should listen to what the local people have to say? ...
    (misc.transport.road)