State DOT Plans Temporary Closure of Six Rest Areas

ALBANY, NY (09/24/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee today announced the scheduled temporary closure this fall of six rest areas on interstate highways in New York State. This action was necessitated by this year's state budget, which calls for NYSDOT to save $500,000 this fiscal year and $1 million annually in subsequent years through rest area closures. The closures affect several NYSDOT rest stops on Interstates 81, 87, 88 and 90, and do not impact any travel plazas located on the New York State Thruway.

NYSDOT anticipates continuing operations at its 32 other rest areas on State Route 17 and Interstates 81, 84, 86, 87, 88, 390 and 684, barring the need for additional budgetary savings affecting rest areas maintained by the Department.

"The nation and New York State are in the midst of a profound economic crisis," Acting Commissioner Gee said. "In response to this financial uncertainty, we are temporarily closing six of our oldest, smallest and least-efficient rest areas to provide the savings called for in the state budget. The Department will continue to provide clean, safe rest facilities for highway travelers at 32 other facilities across New York State."

NYSDOT has rebuilt 11 rest area facilities in the last 15 years, modernizing buildings, providing additional parking and making the locations accessible to persons with disabilities. The facilities were strategically sized, located and designed to provide services where they are needed while enabling older rest areas to be closed.

The rest area closures were determined according to the age, condition and size of the facilities, as well as their proximity to other state rest areas and commercial comfort facilities. Their compliance with the American with Disabilities Act also was taken into account. The savings realized from these closures, combined with the June closure of the Schroon Lake rest area southbound on I-87, will be approximately $490,000 during fiscal year 2010/2011 and $1.1 million in subsequent fiscal years. Affected rest areas will be closed as of November 1 or December 1, based upon the expiration of existing maintenance contracts.

State highway rest areas scheduled to be closed as of Monday, November 1 include:

· Brewerton/Hastings on I-81 southbound between exits 31 and 32 in Oswego County, just north of Syracuse, Onondaga County. The facility is 29 years old, having been built in 1981. Restroom facilities there will be closed, but the location will continue to be used for roadside commercial vehicle inspections. The nearest rest areas are on I-81 southbound 46 miles to the north in Watertown, Jefferson County, and 65 miles to the south at Whitney Point, Broome County. The nearest commercial rest area is 10 miles away in Syracuse. Traveler amenities also are available two miles away in Brewerton, Onondaga County; and

· Schodack on I-90 westbound between exits 11 and 12 in the town of Schodack, Rensselaer County, just east of Albany, Albany County. The facility is 34 years old, having been built in 1976. Restroom facilities there will be closed, but the location will continue to be used for roadside commercial vehicle inspections. The nearest rest areas are 30 miles to the east in Lee, Massachusetts, on I-90 westbound; 32 miles to the northwest on I-87 northbound in Clifton Park, Saratoga County; or 36 miles west to the Pattersonville Travel Plaza on I-90 – the New York State Thruway -- westbound between Exit 26 (Schenectady West) and Exit 27 (Amsterdam). The nearest commercial truck stop is four miles away off of Exit 12 of I-90. Traveler amenities also are available there and at other locations off that exit.

Highway rest areas scheduled to be closed as of Wednesday, December 1 include:

· Lewis on I-87 (the Adirondack Northway) southbound in Essex County between exits 31 and 32, about 40 miles south of Plattsburgh, Clinton County. The facility is 43 years old, having been built in 1967. The nearest rest areas are the Beekmantown rest area, 40 miles to the north in Clinton County, and the High Peaks rest area, which is 23 miles south in the town of North Hudson, Essex County. The closest commercial truck stop is in Lewis, Essex County, within two miles of the rest area;

· Schroon Lake northbound on I-87 between exits 27 and 28 near the village of Schroon Lake, Essex County. The adjacent southbound Schroon Lake rest area was previously closed on June 4th after the septic tank failed and remains closed. Both Schroon Lake facilities are 43 years old, having been built in 1967. The nearest rest areas for both southbound and northbound travelers are the High Peaks rest area 17 miles to the north in North Hudson, Essex County, and the Glens Falls rest area, 39 miles to the south in Warren County. The closest commercial truck stop also is in Glens Falls, 42 miles to the south. Traveler amenities also are available seven miles away in Pottersville, Warren County;

· Worcester on I-88 eastbound between exists 18 and 19 near the city of Oneonta, Otsego County. The facility is 31 years old, having been built in 1979. Restroom facilities there will be closed, but the location will continue to be used for roadside commercial vehicle inspections. Heading east, the nearest rest areas are on I-90 eastbound 47 miles away and on I-90 westbound 50 miles away. Heading west, the nearest rest area is the Unadilla rest area on I-88 eastbound, about 33 miles away. The closest commercial truck stop is in Oneonta, within 20 miles of the rest area. Traveler amenities also are available four miles away in Worcester, Otsego County; and

· Wells Bridge on I-88 westbound between exits 11 and 12 in Delaware County, near the city of Oneonta, Otsego County. The facility is 35 years old, having been built in 1975. Restroom facilities there will be closed, but the location will continue to be used for roadside commercial vehicle inspections. The nearest rest area is the Owego rest area, 70 miles away on Route 17 westbound. East of Wells Bridge is the East Worcester rest area on I-88 westbound, about 36 miles away. The closest commercial truck stop is within five miles of the rest area, off of Exit 12. Traveler amenities also are available five miles away in Unadilla, Otsego County.

NYSDOT plans to continue operations at 32 rest areas on state highways, including:

· Southern Tier/Finger Lakes

o State Route 17: the Owego rest area westbound in Owego, Tioga County; the Nichols rest area eastbound in Nichols, Tioga County; the East Branch rest area westbound in the town of East Branch, Delaware County; the Roscoe rest area eastbound in Roscoe, Sullivan County;

o I-86: the Friendship rest area eastbound in Friendship, Allegany County; the Chautauqua Lake rest area eastbound in Ellery, Chautauqua County; the Allegany River rest area westbound in the town of Allegany, Cattaraugus County; the Kanona rest area westbound in the village of Bath, Steuben County; the Campbell rest area eastbound in Campbell, Steuben County; and

o I-390: the Mount Morris southbound and Geneseo northbound rest areas in the town of Groveland, Livingston County;

· Central Mohawk Valley

o I-81: the Broome Gateway rest area northbound south of Binghamton in Broome County; the Whitney Point rest area southbound in the town of Isle in Broome County; the Preble rest area northbound in the town of Preble, Cortland County; the Watertown rest area southbound in Jefferson County; and the Orleans rest area northbound in Jefferson County; and

o I-88: the East Worcester rest area westbound in the town of East Worcester, Otsego County; and the Unadilla rest area eastbound in the town of Sidney, Delaware County;

· Hudson Valley

o I-84: the Stormville westbound and East Fishkill eastbound rest areas in East Fishkill, Dutchess County; the Wallkill westbound and Middletown eastbound rest areas in the town of Wallkill, Orange County; and

o I-684: the Brewster rest area northbound in Brewster, Putnam County, and the Bedford rest area, southbound in Bedford, Westchester County; and

· Adirondacks

o I-87: the Clifton Park rest area northbound in Saratoga County; the Glens Falls northbound and southbound rest areas in Warren County; the Point Au Roche rest area northbound in Beekmantown, Clinton County; the High Peaks rest areas north and southbound in North Hudson, Essex County; the Valcour rest area northbound near the city of Plattsburgh in Clinton County and the Beekmantown rest area, southbound in Clinton County.

Travel information can be accessed through 511NY, NYSDOT's free, comprehensive system for real-time information about traffic and travel conditions, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The phone (dial 5-1-1) and Web (www.511ny.org) service provides information about traffic conditions and can link commuters to train, bus, subway and air service information.

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