Oregon has new ideas for rest stops

EUGENE, Ore. – Rest areas offer solace to the weary traveler but are a bit of a headache for the state.

Upkeep of Oregon’s 46 aging rest areas costs about $3.5 million a year for cleaning and maintenance, plus $1 million a year on upgrades.

As a result, Oregon is among a number of states hoping to turn to the private sector to share in some of those responsibilities.

If private partners step forward, rest areas could become more convenient and offer a wider array of services. In just one stop, travelers could fuel up, use the restroom, buy a cappuccino or a meal, check on road conditions and find out about local attractions from someone at a visitors information center.

The response from travelers is mixed.

Russ Wood, a trucker for Carson Helicopter, was adjusting his truck’s brakes at Oak Grove (incidentally the U.S. Interstate system’s first rest area, opening north of Eugene in 1962) when he said he’d like the convenience of having commercial services at Oregon’s rest stops.

“I know they’ve got a lot of places back east where you can just pull off and fuel up,” Wood said. “That would be a real timesaver.”

He said he’d also like to be able to get the latest information about road conditions at highway rest stops.

But not all motorists support privatization of these areas.

“I have mixed feelings,” said Rob Bowling, a 49-year-old Bandon resident who recently pulled over at Oak Grove on a trip to Portland.

“I like these being sort of not commercial, with these cute picnic tables that you never see anybody using,” he said, gesturing to a dozen of them scattered among the lawn and trees.

“It’s a traveler-specific area,” Bowling said. “We’re all in travel mode. I think there’s a touch of camaraderie to it.”

There’s a reason why public rest areas more closely resemble day-use parks than commercial highway stops.

When Congress created the Interstate Highway System in 1956, communities were concerned that motorists would zoom past their towns. Congress responded by prohibiting development on the interstate rights of way.

The rest areas were a safety and convenience stop for drivers. But over the years, tension has been mounting between state governments that want to defray costs by offering some retail services at public rest stops, and private businesses at highway interchanges that say that would put them out of business.

In October, Congress cracked open the door to privatization, allowing states to collaborate with the private sector on interstate “oasis” areas that offer amenities such as around-the-clock access to restrooms, parking for cars and heavy trucks, and at a minimum, public phones, food, and fuel, oil and water for vehicles.

The Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon has already decided that it wants identify a partner for a “travel plaza” off Interstate 5 by the end of the year.