Rest area 378297 222856458 2008-07-01T13:16:03Z 58.26.52.2 {{refimprove|date=January 2008}} {{Expand|date=April 2007}} {{redirect|Rest stop|the film|Rest Stop (film)}} {{redirect|Lay-by|the form of installment purchase|Layaway}} [[Image:Virginia Rest Area.jpg|thumb|320px|right|Rest area on northbound [[Interstate 81]] at milepost 262 in [[Rockingham County, Virginia]].]] A '''rest area''', '''travel plaza''', '''rest stop''', or '''service area''' is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a [[highway]], [[expressway]], or [[freeway]] at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel. Other names include '''rest and service area''' ('''RSA'''), '''service station''', '''resto''', '''service plaza''', and '''service center''' or '''service centre'''. Facilities may include [[park]]-like areas, [[fuel station]]s, [[restroom]]s, and [[restaurant]]s. A rest area or rest stop with limited or no public facility is a '''parking area''' or '''scenic area'''. Along some highways and roads are rest stops known as a '''wayside parks''', [[roadside park]]s, or '''picnic areas'''. Rest areas are common in the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and parts of [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]. == Overview == The standards and upkeep of rest areas facilities vary. Rest areas also have [[parking]] areas allotted for [[bus]]es, [[tractor-trailer truck]]s (big rigs) and [[recreational vehicle]]s. Many government-run rest areas tend to be located in remote and [[rural]] areas where there are practically no [[fast food]] or full-service [[restaurant]]s, gas stations, motels, and other traveler services nearby. The location of rest areas are usually marked by a sign on the highway; for example, a sign may read, "Next Rest Stop - 10 Kilometres". Driving information is usually available at these locations, such as posted [[map]]s and other local information. Some rest areas have visitor information centers or [[highway patrol]] or [[state trooper]] stations with staff on duty. There might also be [[drinking fountain]]s, [[vending machine]]s, pay [[telephone]]s, a [[gas station]], a [[restaurant]] or a [[convenience store]] at a rest area. Many rest areas have [[picnic]] areas. Rest areas tend to have traveler information in the form of so-called "[[exit guide]]s", which often contain very basic maps and advertisements for [[motel]]s and [[tourist attraction]]s. Privatized commercial rest areas may take a form of a large service center complete with a [[gas station]] (or [[Filling station|petrol station]] in [[UK|Britain]]) , [[arcade video game]]s and recreation center, and [[fast food restaurant]], [[cafeteria]], or [[food court]] all under one roof immediately adjacent to the freeway. Some even offer business services, such as [[automatic teller machine|ATM]]s, [[fax]] machines, office [[cubicle]]s and [[internet]] access. === Safety issues === Many rest areas have the reputations of being unsafe with regard to crime, especially at night, since they are situated in remote areas. California's policy is to maintain existing public rest areas, but no longer build new ones due to the cost and difficulty of keeping them safe.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} == North America == === United States === [[Image:No soliciting rest area sign.jpg|thumb|right|250px|California "NO SOLICITING" rest area sign.]] In the United States, rest areas are typically non-commercial facilities that provide, at a minimum, parking and restrooms. Some may have information kiosks, vending machines, and picnic areas, but little else, while some have "dump" facilities, where recreational vehicles may empty their sewage holding tanks. They are maintained and funded by the [[Department of Transportation|Departments of Transportation]] of the [[state government]]s. For example, rest areas in [[California]] are maintained by [[Caltrans]]. Some states, such as [[California]], have laws that explicitly prohibit private retailers from occupying rest stops.<ref>Cal. Streets and Highways Code Sections 225.5[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/shc/218-226.5.html] and 731 [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/shc/720-734.html].</ref> A federal statute passed by Congress also prohibits states from allowing private businesses to occupy rest areas along Interstate highways. The relevant clause of 23 [[United States Code|U.S.C.]] § 111 states: :The State will not permit automotive service stations or other commercial establishments for serving motor vehicle users to be constructed or located on the rights-of-way of the Interstate System. The original reason for this clause was to protect innumerable small towns whose survival depended upon providing roadside services; because of it, private truck stops and travel plazas have blossomed into a $171 billion industry in the United States.<ref>Gordon Dickson, "Government Work Zone," ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', 4 August 2003, sec. Metro, p. 3.</ref> The clause was immediately followed by an exception for facilities constructed prior to [[January 1]], [[1960]], many of which continue to exist as explained further below. Therefore, the standard practice is that private businesses must buy up [[real property|land]] near existing [[interchange (road)|exit]]s and build their own facilities to serve travelers. Such facilities often have signs several hundred feet tall that can be seen from several miles away (so that travelers have adequate time to make a decision). In turn, it is somewhat harder to visit such private facilities, because one has to first exit the freeway and navigate through several intersections to reach a desired business's parking lot, rather than exit directly into a rest area's parking lot. Public rest areas are usually (but not always) positioned so as to not compete with private businesses. [[Image:Americanexitservicessigns.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Example of blue guide sign indicating services available at next exit, near [[Reno, Nevada]].]] Special blue signs indicating gas, food, lodging, camping and attractions at an exit can be found on most freeways in North America. Private businesses are permitted to add their logos to these signs by paying the government a small fee. Attempts to remove the federal ban on privatized rest areas have been generally unsuccessful, due to resistance from existing businesses that have already made enormous capital investments in their existing locations.<ref>Thomas Corsi, Robert Windle, A. Michael Knemeyer, "Evaluating the Potential Impact of Interstate Highway Rights-of-Way Commercialization on Economic Activity at Interchanges," ''Transportation Journal'', vol. 39, no. 2 (Winter 1999): 16-25.</ref> For example, in 2003, President [[George W. Bush]]'s federal highway funding reauthorization bill contained a clause allowing states to start experimenting with privatized rest areas on Interstate highways. The clause was fiercely resisted by the [[National Association of Truck Stop Owners]] (NATSO), which argued that allowing such rest areas would shift revenue to state governments (in the form of lease payments) that would have gone to local governments (in the form of property and sales taxes).<ref>Anonymous, "NATSO denounces pro-commercialization in highway bill," ''National Petroleum News'' 95, no. 5, (May 2003): 9. [http://www.travelplaza.org/article_b.php3?show=351&dept=2]</ref> NATSO also argued that by destroying private commercial truck stops, the bill would result in an epidemic of drowsy truck drivers, since such stops currently provide about 90% of the parking spaces used by American truck drivers while in transit ==== Welcome centers ==== A type of rest area often located near state borders in the United States is sometimes called a [[welcome center]]. Welcome centers tend to be larger than a regular rest area, and are staffed at peak travel times with one or more employees who advise travelers as to their options. Some welcome centers contain a small [[museum]] or at least a basic information kiosk about the state. Because air travel has made it possible to enter and leave many states without crossing the state line at ground level, some states, like California, also have official welcome centers inside major cities far from their state borders. In Massachusetts, these rest areas are called tourist information centers<ref>[http://www.masspike.com/travel/centers.html MTA - Service and Tourist Information Centers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and in New Jersey, [[visitor center]]s.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/nj-vcenter-serv.htm NJTA - Service Area Listing<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==== Service areas ==== Prior to the creation of the [[Interstate Highway System]], many states east of the Rocky Mountains had already started building and operating their own long-distance intercity toll roads, or ''turnpikes''. To help recover construction costs, most turnpike operators leased concession space at rest areas to private businesses. Some turnpikes, such as [[Florida's Turnpike]], were never integrated into the Interstate system and never became subject to the federal ban on private businesses. On turnpikes that did become Interstates, all privatized rest areas in operation prior to [[January 1]], [[1960]] were allowed to continue operating. Such facilities are often called ''service areas'' by the public and in [[road atlas]]es, but each state varies:[[Image:Belvidere Oasis, Illinois.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|The Highway Oasis near [[Belvidere, Illinois]].]] * Kansas and Oklahoma - service area<ref>[http://ksturnpike.com/services.html Kansas Turnpike Authority<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania - service plaza<ref>[http://www.floridasturnpike.com/tools_serviceplazas.cfm Florida's Turnpike - The Less Stressway | Traveler Information | Service Plazas<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.ohioturnpike.org/travelers/service_plaza/ Ohio Turnpike Commission - Service Plaza<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/srvcplaza/svcplazas.aspx The Pennsylvania Turnpike - About the PTC<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * New Jersey - service area or service plaza<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/nj-vcenter-serv.htm NJTA - Service Area Listing<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * Massachusetts - service center<ref>[http://www.masspike.com/travel/centers.html MTA - Service and Tourist Information Centers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> * Illinois - [[Illinois Tollway oasis|oases]] * Indiana and New York - travel plaza<ref>http://www.in.gov/dot/div/tollroad/TollRoadInfo.pdf</ref><ref>[http://www.nysthruway.gov/travelplazas/index.html New York State Thruway Authority: Traveler Information: Travel Plazas<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Some states, such as [[Ohio]], allow nonprofit organizations to run a concession trailer in a rest area. [[Image:Scenic area tustinMI.JPG|thumbnail|right|200px| View from "Scenic Overlook" near [[Tustin, Michigan]].]] ====Other types==== Rest areas without modern restrooms are called ''parking areas''. These locations have parking spaces for trucks and cars, or for [[semi-trailer truck]]s only. Some have [[portable toilet]]s and [[waste container]]s. A ''scenic area'' is similar to a parking area, but is provided to the traveler in a place of natural beauty. These are also called ''scenic overlooks''. === Canada === Most of the service centres in Canada are situated in the provinces of [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]], along their [[400-Series Highways (Ontario)|400-Series]] and [[Autoroute (Quebec)|Quebec Autoroute]] networks. ====Ontario==== The service centres for [[Highway 401 (Ontario)#Service centres|Highway 401]] were mostly built around [[1962]]. Two more service centres (for eastbound and westbound) were added between Cambridge and Guelph in 1989. In 1993-94, two were placed at the ends of the [[Greater Toronto Area]] with one serving eastbound traffic in Mississauga and another for westbound traffic just outside Oshawa; this was to allow travellers to relieve themselves before encountering expected traffic jams inside the heart of the GTA. The Mississauga travel centre was closed on [[September 30]], [[2006]].<ref>[http://www.thekingshighway.ca/PHOTOS/Hwy401photos9.htm Ontario Highway 401 Photographs - Page 9 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> No additional centres are planned to be constructed. Two (along [[Highway 400 (Ontario)|Highway 400]], just south of [[Barrie, Ontario]]) are planned to be torn down when the freeway is widened around [[2008]]&ndash;[[2009]], and another service station at [[Cookstown, Ontario|Cookstown]] has since been expanded into an outlet mall. [[Highway 417 (Ontario)|Highway 417]] has a pair of service centres near [[Highway 34 (Ontario)|Highway 34]]. The service centres in Ontario have private restaurants and establishments. Most of them used to be independently operated; however during the early 1990s they were taken over by major restaurant and convenience store chains. They also contain [[gas station]]s, washrooms, picnic areas, [[vending machine]]s, and [[arcade game]]s. Reese's Corner at the intersection of [[Highway 21 (Ontario)|Highway 21 South]] and [[Highway 7 (Ontario)|Highway 7]] is often considered a service centre; even since Highway 7 was bypassed by the freeway [[Highway 402 (Ontario)|Highway 402]], 402 travellers can reach it via Exit 25. Lastly, [[Weigh station|truck inspection stations]] (which are more frequent than service centres) can be used by travelers for bathroom breaks, although this is not encouraged. ====Quebec==== In Quebec, the service centres are known as ''haltes routières'' or ''aires de services'' and are located along their Autoroutes, and many of their provincial [[List of Quebec provincial highways|highways]]. Only two have gas stations or restaurants, though most of the remainder have vending machines or canteens. ====Alberta==== The Province of Alberta has service centres along the [[Trans-Canada Highway]]/[[Highway 1 (Alberta)|Highway 1]], and along [[Alberta Highway 2|Highway 2]], with a service centre along the Northbound carriageway of Highway 2, near [[Wetaskiwin, Alberta|Wetaskiwin]], and the Southbound service centre located in [[Airdrie, Alberta|Airdrie]]. There is also a service centre in the town of [[Valleyview, Alberta]], near the village, along [[Alberta Highway 43|Highway 43]], near the town, and junction with [[Alberta Highway 49|Highway 49]]. ====British Columbia==== British Columbia has many services centres on its provincial roads, particularly along the [[Yellowhead Highway]]/[[British Columbia Highway 16|Highway 16]], the [[Coquihalla Highway]]/[[Highway 5 (British Columbia)|Highway 5]], and on [[British Columbia Highway 97C|Highway 97C]], the first service centres built in the province. One notable curiosity is a service centre built along [[British Columbia Highway 118|Highway 118]]: it is a minor road connecting two towns to the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy. 16). ====Other==== [[Canadian Prairies|The Prairie Provinces]] ([[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]]) have rest stops located along the Trans-Canada Highway ([[Highway 1 (Saskatchewan)|Highway 1]], however, they are simply places to rest, or go to the washroom; they are not built to such high standards as the [[400-Series Highways]] of Ontario, or the [[Interstate Highways]] of America. [[Nova Scotia]] has constructed a small number full-fledged service centres along its [[100-Series Highways]]. In [[New Brunswick]], the only rest areas are roadside parks with picnic tables and washrooms operated as a part of the [[provincial park]] system, but many have closed due to cutbacks. Occasionally, [[litter barrels]] are also found along the side of the road. == Europe == === United Kingdom === {{main|Motorway#Motorway service areas}} The term "rest area" is not generally used in the United Kingdom. The most common terms are motorway service areas (MSA), '''motorway service stations''' or simply motorway services. As with the rest of the world, these are places where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel, rest, or take refreshments. Almost all the MSA sites in the UK are owned by the [[Department for Transport]] and let on 50-year leases to private operating companies. ==== Lay-bys ==== The term '''lay-by''' is used in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]] to describe a roadside parking or rest area for drivers. Equivalent terms in the United States are "turnout" or "pullout". Lay-bys can vary in size from a simple parking bay alongside the carriageway sufficient for one or two cars only, to substantial areas that are separated from the carriageway by verges and can accommodate dozens of vehicles. They are marked by a rectangular blue sign bearing a white letter P, and there should also be advance warning of lay-bys to give drivers time to slow down safely. In practice, many local authorities neglect to maintain these signs to an adequate degree, and sometimes they are missing entirely. Lay-bys are beneficial to [[road safety]] as they provide somewhere safe for drivers to stop, whether they wish simply to rest, check directions, make a phone call, stretch their legs, or take refreshments. At some larger lay-bys mobile catering is provided by vendors operating from converted [[travel trailer|caravan]]s, [[Trailer (vehicle)|trailers]] or [[Coach (vehicle)|coach]]es. These facilities generally offer much better value for money than roadside restaurants and therefore tend to be popular with [[trucker]]s. Some lay-bys have parking restrictions to prevent [[truck|lorries]] using them as overnight parking, or as a long term storage area for trailers, and some have been permanently closed off by councils because of problems caused by their occupation by [[Irish Travellers|Travellers]] or other [[itinerant]]s. ===Germany=== ''Rasthof'' is the name of the service areas on the German [[Autobahn]]. A rasthof includes a gas station, public phones, restaurants, toilets, parking and, many times, a hotel or a motel. Smaller parking areas, known as a ''Rastplatz'', are more frequent and often have picnic tables and toilets. == Other countries == [[Image:Honshu Shikoku contact bridge.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Honshu Shikoku contact bridge, a rest station at Big Naruto bridge.]] In [[Malaysia]], [[Indonesia]], [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Turkey]], rest areas have prayer rooms (musola) for [[Muslims]] travelling more than 90 km (2 marhalah; 1 marhalah ≈ 45 km). In Malaysia, an '''overhead bridge restaurant''' ('''OBR''') or '''overhead restaurant''' is a special rest area with [[restaurants]] above the expressway. Unlike typical laybys and RSAs which are only accessible in one-way direction only, an overhead restaurant is accessible from both directions of the expressway. In [[wasei-eigo|Japanese English]], a rest area is called a "service area" or a "[[:ja:パーキングエリア|parking area]]". A service area has a restaurant/eating place and a convience store, in addition to the parking area and the toilets in the parking area. In Thailand, bus travel is common, and long-distance bus rides typically include stops at rest areas designed for bus passengers. These rest stops typically have a cheap noodle or curry restaurant as well as a small store for buying food. ===Australia=== Rest areas in Australia are a recurrent feature of the [[Australian highways|road network]] in rural areas. They are the responsibility of a variety of authorities, such as a state transport or main roads bureau, or a local government's works department. Facilities and standards vary widely and unpredictably; a well-appointed rest area will have bins to deposit small items of litter, a picnic table with seating, a cold water tap (sometimes fed by a [[rainwater tank]], barbecue fireplace (sometimes gas or electric), toilets, and - less commonly - showers. Other rest areas, especially in more remote locations, may lack some or even all of these facilities; in [[South Australia]], a rest area may be no more than a cleared section besides the road with a sign indicating its purpose. Rest areas in Australia do not provide [[service station]]s or restaurants (such facilities would be called [[roadhouse]]s or [[truck stop]]s), although there may be [[caravan]]s, often run by [[charity|charities]], providing refreshments to travellers. Amenity and hygiene are important considerations for the responsible authorities, as such remote sites can be very expensive to clean and maintain, and vandalism is common. As well, Australia's dependence on road transport by heavy vehicles can lead to competition between the amenity needs of recreational travelers and the drivers of the heavy vehicles, so much so that on arterial routes it is common to see rest areas specifically signed to segregate the two user groups entirely. Due to these considerations, rest areas generally do not allow overnight occupation. In Queensland, however, well-maintained rest areas sometimes explicitly invite travelers to stay overnight, as a road safety measure, but this situation is rare elsewhere. == See also == {{commonscat|Rest areas}} {{Wiktionary}} * [[Diner]] * [[Truck stop]] * [[Illinois Tollway oasis]] == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/ Motorway Services Online] * [http://www.msatrivia.co.uk Motorway Services Trivia website] * [http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=53,35056,53_35073&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL Illinois State Toll Highway Authority - Oases Services] * [http://www.illinoisoases.com Official Illinois Oases Web Site - Belvidere] === Examples of rest area locations === * [http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RAentry.asp TripCheck - Oregon Department of Transportation] * [http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/biz/restareas/restareamap.htm WSDOT Safety Rest Areas Map] * [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/ra/Statewide.htm California List of Safety Roadside Rest Areas] <!--note that a rest area with commercial facilities is an Autobahnraststätte, while an Autobahnparkplatz is a rest area without commercial facilities; the Interwiki-Linking is difficult when this distinction is not made in English--> [[Category:Road infrastructure]] [[Category:Restrooms]] [[de:Autobahnparkplatz]] [[fr:Aire de repos]] [[ms:Kawasan rehat dan rawat]] [[nl:Verzorgingsplaats]] [[ja:サービスエリア]] [[no:Rasteplass]] [[pl:Miejsce Obsługi Podróżnych]] [[sv:Rastplats]] [[zh:服务区 (公路)]]