Trying to find a place to park in Connecticut may be about to get a lot harder. According to a CTDOT spokesperson, every single public rest area in Connecticut will be closed by July 1st if more money isn’t placed into the state’s Special Transportation Fund.
In prior years, public rest areas were staffed 24/7. In an attempt to save money, the state reduced the staffed hours down to 8:30am to 3:30pm. But according to CTDOT spokesperson Kevin Nursick, there just isn’t enough money to keep them open at all.
Nursick says that service plazas will be remaining open because they offer revenue for the state thanks to gas stations, restaurants, stores, bathrooms, and public/private partnerships and sponsorships.
That’s not an option for rest areas though.
“It has been difficult to get a company to put their name on a rest area,” said Nursick. “There has been utterly no interest from the private sector.”
These proposed closures are just the latest effects of a dried-up transportation budget. Earlier this month, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced he would be stopping other major infrastructure projects such as the I-91/Route 15 interchange.
“If we’re trying to choose between roads and bridges or rest areas, it’s a no-brainer,” said Nursick.
Source: wfsb, gobytrucknews, norwichbulletin, CTDOT
duh. easy fix. let businesses take care of them. prime locations.
i’d def do it.
Well that’s great . Maybe we should not haul loads up there after they close down no parking where do we park on the side of the roads hmmm that’s a great idea not . I mean come on we are trying to make a living out here and truck stops are over charging for everything even down to parking . The mom and pop’s place wake up you want someone to buy from you don’t charge parking . Sad what we go through so you can go to your nice stores or drive your car’s maybe I should start a blog on every day life out here then you can look at this a lot different . We give up a lot everyday out here . Close down rest ares do to no money well then you may want to widening your side of your roads for us to sit .
Way to go! Nice job of helping drivers find a place to park when they are tired.
Funny how they can take like 10 years on that bridge construction in new haven and still have not finished. Maybe if they stopped squandering the money on “construction work” and actually did some real work they might get something done and need less money
maybe time for trucking companies to put their name on those rest areas ( John Doe rest area 1/2 mile ) .
Then the Rest Areas can be truck only. There are more than enough exits with gas stations for the car traffic. And a Security Officer needs to be allowed to run cars off whenever they park in our area. Also that the SO will aid in our safety.
Make sure no text when he goes to it then either.
Maybe it’s time for truckers to boycott going to CT. See how fast the state will find the money to keep the rest areas open when truckers don’t deliver products to CT.
“If we’re trying to choose between roads and bridges or rest areas, it’s a no-brainer,” said Nursick.
Sounds like he wants to bring in self-driving Auto /Trucks , because currently humans require places to eliminate and sleep.
Or maybe the governor just has no brain!
He has no brain.
So no rest areas after july 1. Sure smells like a cash grab against truckers. Eld mandates.. now they are closing rest areas.
if its delivery to CT or not its a no brainer not
It’s such a bitch parking in CT already.
That’s correct Mar! Truckers refuse delivery to Conn and things change very quickly
Well all the shopping centers better prepare for a lot of trucks in there lots,and shippers and cosigner need to prepare for trucks parking there when out of hours!!
How much could it possibly cost to clean the restrooms twice a day? After 9 years of a bull market and easy tax collection, it seems like somebody in the state capital is dipping into the till, but that wouldn’t be the first time.
This is entrapment with the ELD law !!
Hrs..if you are empty at a receiver and they say leave the property you got to leave..no matter if you have hrs or not..if no he’s you could get a ticket or worse..that was told to me by a Ohio dot officer..he said they don’t bother you if you are trying to get to a safe haven..but like Walmart if you are empty u must leave or a cop will give u a ticket for trespassing…what we need is a total 7 day shut down or walk out if everyone work together is all that would be needed to get this crap all done..my opinion..30 yr driver from old school
U know.. everything is piled on the driver..think about it..all paperwork and all..maybe we need all of the money…no secretary..we do it all.. no dispatcher..we call customers..combine all that money together..would not be bad… rt
I hear it all the time…truckers need to stop delivering there. boycott here, boycott there and they will change. True, but truckers won’t stop. They’ll keep hauling up there like they do everywhere else. Truckers don’t know how to stick together today…it’s a “me first” society now.
Raise and add a special charge to deliver in this state. They will figure it out when it cost more for delivery to the general public for services and goods that after 20 yrs the govt in the state has done nothing after surveys and appropriating funds elsewhere.