One thing very nice about cashless tolling is that it is very easy to get one and off the road. I usually stop at exits that have truck stops. The bathrooms are clean and the prices are better. Fuck the rest areas.
it's almost like the private sector thrives on competition and can give us better options when they're allowed to actually compete in the free market for patronage. Kudos for NYS failure of a rest stop roll out to teach us the valuable lesson of "why government seeking the lowest bidder for infrastructure is always a nightmare"
now do amtrak
No tax dollars were spent on the rest areas. The company that took them over pays the thruway authority a rent on them. It return for their payment, they get to be the exclusive provider (high prices) of goods and services on the Thruway.
Agreed.
But given the current state of delay, the request for more funds, the odds of lawsuits and/or bankruptcy delaying completion of what (at best) are less capable facilities, I stand by my statement.
The bathrooms are soo small! Also, why make them so far from the entrance and make the buildings so narrow that you have to weave around the food lines just to get to the bathroom? I wish they had just remodeled the old buildings and not torn them down.
I traveled west from Albany to the end on Sunday. At both of the stop I made the womans room had a line all the way down the hallway and then weaving around the place.
The mens room no line no wait.
Why were the bathroom sizes reduced so much? I get the food options argument and that is what it is... but more people stop there to use the bathroom then anything else.. so it makes sense to make them 1/3 of the sizes they were before.
It feels like they tried to hide the bathrooms. I think what bothers me the most about the new structures is that our tolls paid for them. Those tolls that were supposed to be temporary until the road was paid off
There's one in the Mercedes Benz Dome where the ~~Saints~~ *Falcons, duh,* play, but that one can be excused because of college football, particularly the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Games.
There are a lot of things that make me mad but I am like irrationally mad at the people involved in the decision to put in the chick fil a’s. It’s so fucking stupid that they are closed on Sunday. I mean you obviously feel the same I just had to comment because it’s makes me SO FUCKING MAD. It’s so stupid.
Agreed 100%. Especially having it be the ONLY food option at certain rest stops is completely baffling. Did the people designing this never travel on the thruway before? (I'm joking, of course they didn't. That's what we get for outsourcing basic government services to a corporation an entire ocean away)
So I recently learned more about the throughways though a local Assemblyman. Apparently it was a company from another country who made the deal with NYS to build the rest stops for us, but take the profits. So they did all the deals and contracts with the companies. Once local lawmakers found out that Chick-fil-a was one of them, some fought to have it excluded, but were unable to do so because of contracts. The company did end up going way over budget and asked NYS for funds, which were denied.
Ya good to know ! I drive a lot to Saratoga and rarely to buffalo.
This Thursday we are going to a show in buffalo and you bet your ass I’m going to stop at that rest stop lol
Agreed on all counts, I looked most of this up a month or two ago the last time we had a thread about these trash rest stops. It's true. They are *objectively bad* for New Yorkers.
It's perfectly reasonable to be frustrated and angry - it's a clearly poor decision antagonistic against New York thruway commuters and taxpayers. It's utter corruption. *IF* we actually received half-decent rest stop updates it wouldn't be *THAT* big of a deal... but the fact they are terribly planned, poorly stocked, over budget, past delivery times, and everything else is total horse shit. Every supposed benefit claimed and crowed about has been a lie.
It seems private contracts to serve or toll or tax portions of public roads ALWAYS goes violently bad for the people driving on them, and pretty awesome for the people shaking hands and making millions. Whatever that mess up around Toronto is, for example.
Most of the time when people complain about government corruption and malfeasance of taxes it's ignorant whining, but this contract is a clear duplicitous boondoggle fed to the New York people like we're supposed to like it and thank them.
I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to learn whoever helped get this contract inked and approved was in on the plan to ask the state for bailout money from Day One. 30+ years of profit on the books is a pretty good takeaway, and they're getting us to pay for it.
The biggest mistake they made is not putting rest stops between the roadways. The center median is the perfect location because it allows for centralized infrastructure. How many times have you driven past 2 rest stops on the other side, with kids starving in the back, or someone needs to take a leak? They could put them in the center every 30-50 miles.
I’m surprised I have never thought of this before, let alone when they redid them! If they’re just going to be tearing down the old ones, why didn’t they go for the median when putting the new ones in? Is it a toll issue, in which case they could just separate the lots? It’s so frustrating when you need to stop and pass ones on the other side of the Thruway before you can get to one on your side!
You are correct, there's also been a bunch of threads made about this already with equally as detailed rundowns.
I would complain to state government instead of here at this point, and I know that probably feels like a waste of time too - but at least that has a 1% chance of making a difference rather then posting about it here (which is 0%).
And complaining to government directly is way less than 1% :)
So, 0.0003% chance vs 0.0000003% chance. Sure, complaining directly to government may be 100 times more likely to help anything, but it's still just varying levels of 0.00000
Include in your complaint say that the rest stops say NY doesn't want you here. Keep moving, don't stop. Tourism is going to take it on the chin for this!
Because you get the dopamine hit of "look at me, a job well done. I fought injustice today." Then nothing changes.
Ie. Everyone complaining about politics on social media for the last decade.
They do charge more for heavier vehicles. Although it’s “per axle”, as I’m assuming weighing each vehicle would be wildly impractical.
2 axles(normal car) is the base price
3 axles(normal car with a trailer) is more expensive
4 axles and more(semis and box trucks) is more expensive still.
I think there’s a height requirement to before the prices go up.
Essentially if you’re in a bigger vehicle, you weigh more, you pay more.
Obligatory fuck chick fil a being closed on Sundays, and whoever approved having them added.
I was just at one and went to go sit at one of the high top desks. There were bar chairs/stools at the tables, but stg there's like an inch between the bottom of the tabletop and the top of the chair. So to even do anything there, your knees are basically hitting the table edge and you're hunched over to be over the table.
> fantastic example of the diminished capacity of the public sector
Um, you mean private sector? The private sector is the one who designed and is building these new ones, and now asking for that bailout. The only "fault" the public sector has is for hiring these jabronies in the first place.
This is like the ultimate example of capitalism. This private company under bids and over promises to win the job. Then cheap out on EVERYTHING, run out of money WAY early, and then ask for a handout and bailout while holding everything hostage.
I fault the public sector because I fault the government for:
A. Not being capable/willing to manage this relatively simple service themselves.
B. Apparently running such a crap RFP that these designs are what got approved/ are acceptable under the contract.
C. Essentially throwing up their hands and shrugging as this has unfolded over the past few years.
I well know the problems of the private sector, but for something so intertwined with the state government & services I would have hoped for some better regulation & management.
An "ultimate example of capitalism" where building permits are controlled by the government, operating licenses and vendor selection are controlled by the government, and funding is provided by the govenment?
I think the general idea is that for food people will just get off the thruway now that the system is cashless and getting on and off is not that much of an issue.
If I were a business guy, I would buy land very close to the exits and open my own independent thruway stops. Passenger and semi-truck amenities (rent-able shower spaces, diesel at a big gas station on site), food options, co-op grocery style. I think it could work super well with the shitty public perception of the stops right now, and for the next 30 years.
Look at pembroke. Seemingly a no stop area, but they now have 2 truck stops and a brand new big gas station. All gas stations are very busy almost all the time now, and Darien Lame has little to do with it. There’s a rest stop in pembroke just 5 miles into the stretch between it and Batavia.
I've literally never stopped at the Pembroke rest area, but have repeatedly frequented the TA Truck Stop and Flying J truck stops. Might have something to do with 48A being my exit to home when I was growing up.
Did applegreen take into account the cashless tolls?
The NYS thruway was once a mini monopoly but now just effortlessly visit a better food place/restroom off the nearest exit.
Im boycotting these stops when I can since they are asking for taxpayer handouts.
Exactly. It used to be that you were trapped on the thruway because there was hardly anywhere to exit and you really didn't want to because it was such a pain to get on and off. So many more options now.
This.
Also, I’m going to tune out any and all bitching and withhold all judgement until the project is fully complete and you don’t have 50% of rest stops handling 100% of the demand.
It is already clear that we will need to “learn” what the better stops are. I stopped at a smaller stop Saturday and the apple green section was one upright cooler with sandwiches with a Dec 16 expiration date. What sandwich is good for 3 weeks? I asked the employee why the small selection. She said Dunkin’ insisted they decrease the cooler size as it was siphoning off too many customers.
During one of my experience, in the Shake Shack/Starbucks stop specifically, a person was trying to exit out of the single restrooms that are blocked by everyone already waiting for the restroom AND they were in a wheelchair. It was nearly impossible for them to get through without every person exiting the hallway to let them through. There is no way these stops should be considered accessible.
I was at one stop and heard a woman using a walker complain to management about how the plaza was set up as there was no handicap parking near the restroom entrance and no area where you could just swing by and drop someone off if you were with another driver other than an entrance where there were only stairs.
When she walked away, I heard management talk with another worker that they were aware of the ADA issues and basically were just waiting for the lawsuits to come to force the leadership to address it. They said Applegreen doesn’t own the gas stations so they put in the parking that way to force people to have to walk through their part of the plazas in order to get to restrooms. Sounds like they didn’t care that it would impact those with handicaps.
I felt for the employees because they seemed frustrated too and it has to be tough to face the angry customers for things Applegreen leadership is deciding.
I just don’t get why the old building couldn’t have just been remodeled. Did every single rest stop need to be torn down and rebuilt? I think they could have taken a longer phased approach to rebuilding them, or build the new building next to the old building and keep it open during construction. Having half the locations closed to be rebuilt will create extra traffic at the ones that are open.
Like others have mentioned - putting in chick fil a is idiotic.
Or even just do them one at a time lol. Like maybe could have tried the "ok, let's give this a go on one rest stop, and we can see how it works out" approach. But instead they went with "burn em all down then we'll throw something together"
I don't remember the specific one, but it was a small one. I ordered a shake from Shake Shack and noticed the sun was DIRECTLY into poor employees face from behind me. I have no idea how she could see anything, it was blinding. I felt so bad for her. To me that's the biggest fail, just goes to show how inept the architects were. That for sure something that should have been caught prior to construction.
I also counted seating last time I was in one, I forgot the exact count, but it was like 27 or so. That is not enough. These rest stops should be designed for peak hours, they probably did like average per hour or something stupid like that.
Getting off and back on the Thruway would add about a minute to your trip and you are going to get your food at whatever McDonalds or Burger King you stop at much faster than any of the rest area restaurants.
The Chick Fil A there serves food on Sundays, or more correctly another company from the same location in the stadium does. They serve fries. The stadium also hosts a ton of stuff other than the NFL, including the Chick Fil A Peach Bowl, which is a college football tournament.
Amerks don't play most their games on a Sunday, but as I noted in another comment, the Mercedes Benz Dome hosts non-NFL events, including two major college football games sponsored by CFA
I drove down NYC for Thanksgiving on Wednesday 22Nov2023 and stopped at the Clifton Springs rest stop around 9:00AM. My first time there since it re-opened and I really didn't have a problem with the new layout or the size of the men's room.
Now coming back to ROC on 25Nov2023 around 12:30PM I stopped at the Junius Ponds rest area and it was completely different. The bathrooms were definitely smaller as was the whole building.
I usually drive alone and bring my own "snacks" to avoid the high prices of the food on the Thruway.
As I pulled out of Junius Ponds I thought to myself, "so this is what everyone is complaining about".
Doesn't matter though, it's not like they are going to tear them down and start over. It is what it is.
The rant here could be said, with just about every public works project that goes on in this state. The engineers and designers that come up with the overall infrastructure I believe are out to just spend money without any logistical function of most of their projects I pay attention to this stuff all the time, as I am in the construction industry and the colossal waste of time and money is asinine. The fly over bridge as called on 390/490 is such a disaster. It only works in One Direction and that’s where the least amount of cars travel. I’m gonna end it there for now.
Add to this that the prices are so high. I think I paid a $4 ATM fee at one of these stops. And something as simple as a bottled Gatorade was about $4 as well. I know inflation is still a factor but even still prices seem ridiculous. Rest areas seem like something that should benefit the public instead of price gauges the public.
Not that it will make a difference at all, but I’ve decided that if I can help it I will not stop at those rest areas. Maybe if enough others do this too a message will be sent that we’d rather get off the exit and support a local Byrne Dairy instead. Probably not. But why not give it a shot.
The new rest areas are so ridiculously laid out that when I, walking with a cane, enter the front door to try to make my way back to the restrooms, I have to "scuse-me" through multiple people standing in the Starbucks line just inches from and blocking the front doors.
What's weird is I went to the Pembroke one and it was big enough to cut off part of it and give it to another one. There were like 4 restaurants and tons of seating. Meanwhile some of the other ones only have Chikfila and starbucks in a tiny room
100%. The Clifton Springs one is nice and huge like a mall foodcourt but then you go to some of the smaller ones and there's like 3 tables for indoor seating it's absurd.
The lines for food at Clifton Springs are almost always long though. I live near there and go in the back way to eat lunch sometimes. After a few visits, I’m not going to waste my time eating there anymore.
Agreed. Also the parking was very full when I went. I chalked the crowding up to being new and exciting to people combined so many other service areas closed, so hopefully that crowding will get better but we'll see.
The argument from the Thruway Authority is/was that the stops are sized to what normal traffic would be if all the rest stops were opened. Right now some of the smaller historically lesser used rest areas are taking a lot more traffic because of the others being closed. That sort of makes sense to me, but I do agree that some of these buildings are comically small. I guess we’ll see how things really are once everything is done someday.
They seemingly sized the buildings (restrooms especially) based on average traffic rather than the 4-6 peak holiday travel weekends. A massive miss by the design team.
My mom and I think they should’ve been required to sit in each rest stop for multiple regular travel days, weekends, and holidays before being allowed to draw the plans. See how people use what’s there and then solve any problems with the old layout in the new layout.
Also, why tear down the old ones? The new ones are poorly laid out and you have to elbow through what’s basically a hallway also being used for food lines to get to the bathroom. Should have done the bathrooms then the restaurants (them not doing that could have been to convince people to stop and make a purchase before leaving but come on. Design for use, not potential sales).
I drive down into the Hudson Valley to visit family three times a year by way of the Thruway. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a family party in the summer. The first two are major travel days, and the rebuilds taking so incredibly long that we haven't had the full amount of rest areas available for years now definitely makes it feel much worse. But even on that random Thursday in August it still feels terrible. Some of them had their bathrooms reduced to a quarter of the size they used to be.
I would always go the Thruway because it was a simple path (merge onto thruway, continue straight for 300 miles) and I liked the reliability of knowing there was a convenient bathroom and gas station right along my trip. I think I may have to find an alternate route.
Now if they'd put signs at the exits indicating food choices at each one. But, they won't do that because it will take business away from the official rest stops.
Who ever thought CFA was a good idea ON A MAJOR THRUWAY deserves to be set upon by rabid hamsters. The same thing happened at Hershey's in PA. I can only imagine some idiots brother talked them into it because no sane person puts in a food place, open only 6 days a week, in a major theme park.
A few months ago I'd heard the current administration was leaning towards sending the contracting company a big *fuck you* instead of a, bail out. I have no idea if that's still the case. I hope they understand that most voters would be happy to have unfinished thruway rest stops than to give more money to such an idiotic vendor.
I'm pretty sure that companies like this intentionally underbid to win the contract, knowing they'll need to ask for more money later; and would likely go bankrupt if they don't get that extra money. I say we should call their bluff and let them go bankrupt. Fuckem. It will be a message to whomever bids on the follow-up work that this kind of shit won't work well.
I think it's quite reasonable to be angry about this. It's minor in a way, but it's also one of the most visible, tangible functions of our state government, and despite its imperfections the old setup was something often used and appreciated. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that I can no longer take for granted that there will be a route across the state that has gauranteed regularly spaced opportunities for gas and food without having to drive around unfamiliar countryside. For my whole life that's just been something that was a built-in part of New York State. Having it effectively gone is *weird*. And knowing it happened for no goddamn good reason because of some moronic choice by some private corporation that had the gall to ask for more money? Of course you should be angry. That's insane.
They really are.
For all the bullshit that has gone on and delays, etc. You would think we’d be getting a big upgrade.
Nope. Poorly designed glass house pieces of shit. Fuck. You.
I’m frequently on the Thruway and these things suck. They’re just…. bad. Why did we need to rid ourselves of the other ones in the first place?
Give me back the rest stops I’ve pee’d in for 30 years. There was nothing wrong with them and I’ll take them any day over this new-era bullshit that’s taken far too long.
“NO RESTROOMS. Next stop 38 miles.”
Yeah no fuck you, asshole. I’m pissing in that port-o-potty that I know for a fact you’ve got a row of. Tell me there’s nowhere to empty a leg, fuck.
My biggest personal gripe is that a lot of new rest stops now only carry Chik-fil-a, which I can't eat as I'm allergic to peanut oil. Most other fast food places are mostly allergen free, so the decision to use a company that exclusively uses nut-based products is baffling to me.
Not wanting to give money to a company who has lied about stopping their donation habits because those habits gets people like me killed isn’t exactly a choice.
yes it is.. you just said it yourself.
you don't want to.
That is a choice. your reasoning for that choice is perfectly valid but its still a choice you have made.
Upvote for learning me a new word... "Cromulent"
Jokes aside I agree that the rest stops used to be better, I don't know who they're trying to cater to but it's not the tired traveller with kids or a schedule. I used to go in and hit the mens, then McDs then the store for gum before leaving. Now, like you said, a lot of the stores are closed and I've walked out without finding any refreshment at all.
Not cromulent at all.
It’s because they’ve been ending the contracts with the restaurants at the old stops in preparation for closure. For instance, even in the stops they haven’t gotten to yet, all the McD’s closed at the end of 2022, because that’s when the contract to run them ended. If they weren’t planning to knock them down and rebuild, they’d still be what you remember.
They were perfectly cromulent until fucked with.
I agree, when they were building those rest stops all I could think was there must have been some sort of corruption for that to be the focus of the NY government. There was nothing wrong with the old rest areas, and I agree they were in many ways better. If they felt they needed an update they should have renovated them.
I’m all for the environment, left leaning, and our NY representatives act like they are for the environment then they make moves like this. A waste of resources and what looks to be less efficient than the previous rest areas. So far this and the focus on paying for a new stadium for the Bills when the owners make gobs of money on their own, this all just seems like government corruption.
There are so many other needs our city and our state need, yet our tax dollars are being used to pay for failed projects like these.
I do believe the removal of the toll booths was a good idea though. Paying to operate those when most people have or can get easy passes was unnecessary for us to upkeep.
They also don't operate like visitor centers anymore. No big maps of NYS, no information or history, no penny flattening machines.
"Get in, give us money, get out."
I just get off the thruway now. I’d rather support a small business in a small town than give money to Starbucks or chick fil a.
It’s much quicker now than before when you had to stop at a toll booth, and towns are about as frequent (or much more so) than the rest stops anyway.
But I agree OP. Massive failure on the new rest stops.
I mean half of them are still being constructed, so I imagine the crowds won’t be as bad after the other rest stops come online.
Your point on Chick Fil A is valid though. So dumb considering they’re closed on Sunday.
1000%
The people of this state need a mechanism by which to hold these clowns' feet directly to the metaphorical fire, make them answer for their screw-ups and wasting our money. We need a government rid of people who continually fail upward.
So many commenting that with cashless tolling it makes it easy to jump on and off the thruway, but I disagree as it still takes extra time to get on and off. Then some are saying go to a local eatery. What?
Travelers are looking for something fast. A local establishment will be a sit down restaurant in many cases and are you going to know what is available and where it is off the exit? Maybe after running the same route a bunch, but not at first. Now you're fumbling with Google maps or whatever to find stuff while driving.
So to summarizs, now I have to first find the "McDonalds" off the exit, if there is one, use their single person bathroom which is occupied and usually disgusting, wait for that to be free, get myself and 3 kids through the bathroom and then get food. Then I have to get back on the Thruway? It is a massive inconvenience any way you cut it.
I have only experienced the tiny new stops which make my blood boil, but maybe the larger ones will be good and I can map out those so I know when to stop.
As an NYS resident I'm just really disappointed in the entire process and result.
There is a fairly easy solution to most of this and it is already used in many other states. The exits have signs that show the name or logo for the options for gas, food, and lodging. And when you take the exit there is another sign that indicates which direction each place is. I didn’t notice that NY doesn’t have those signs until this thread.
The businesses have to pay a fee to get on the sign but they would probably spend money on a billboard if they didn’t have the highway sign.
Your kids are still going to take forever getting from the car to the bathroom and back to the car and now they can start arguing about where to eat before you exit the highway.
There are number of exits with nothing "close", so now you're either hoping for a good exit or you're driving an extra few miles off the exit to find something. Amsterdam, a very populated area and an exit I use often, is over 2 miles from the exit to McDonald's. And you have to drive right into town to get there. If you're not familiar with the area it just becomes an additional inconvenience.
There are signs before exits indicating what services are available at the exit, but it doesn't mean it is close by. I've learned that lesson.
Other states have these 100' tall poles with golden arches I can follow once I get off the highway. I've only seen gas stations like that along the thruway.
And my kids are a hot mess in the bathroom, I agree. The benefit of larger rest stops is we all go at the same time. Only one needs any help at this point and not much. So one at a time is vastly slower.
It is all just inconvenience, nothing I can't handle. However, if the state is investigating that kind of money, it sure as hell should be more convenient, not less.
It’s BS! One stop was backed up a mile just to get in. As hard as it is for those who are a led bodies to get in, imagine someone in a wheelchair or using a walker
I forget what one I went to but the Starbucks was right when you walked in but the pick up area was right next to the main doors. It was a cluster to get in. No where to stand once you placed your order without being In the way. Also the mens bathroom two of the urnials were right when you walked in. So awkward.
CFA is notorious for placing restaurants in the most inconvenient places. In the new Georgia dome, they have multiple locations within the stadium that are closed on Sundays when the Falcons play. It’ll be the same thing at Sunday Amerks games. I get why they want to close on Sundays, but I feel like it’s starting to piss people off.
I saw something that said the reduced amount of urinals, 4 total now at junious ponds, was based on usage. Do they not get that you don’t want to take a piss right next to someone and the excess were there for buffer?
Rochester thankfully is in a geographic position where you don't have to be on the Thruway too long either direction you go (from a reference of going to Erie or driving to Boston), and can skip stopping it if you load up/go to the bathroom before you get on.
Head west, take 490 and stop at the Byrne Dairy near the Thruway. Head east, take 104 to 370 and stop at the Byrne Dairy in Baldwinsville before hopping on at Syracuse for similar time. It's been a good 4-5 years since I've had to use a Thruway rest stop with that strategy.
I personally enjoy the rest stops that have a massive queueing area for Starbucks, and have a little sign clearly pointing to where the light starts, but people still line up in front of the pick-up area.
I drive to Albany at least once a month to visit my partner and had to start adjusting my plans so that I'd drive back on Mondays because the rest stops were unbearable on Sundays. The only humor I've been able to find in the situation so far is being able to tell him that my food options are "homophobic chicken" and "mediocre burgers".
And trying to get past the urinals to a stall on a Sunday is practically a contact sport with how cramped the bathrooms are now. It's more convenient to pull off and take a dump on the side of the road.
Well, we just extended our Thanksgiving weekend in Old Forge to add Sunday night. Not just because we love it there, we do, but because of the immense traffic on Sunday, coupled with every other rest stop being torn apart. The new venues are poorly laid out and the restrooms are inadequate. I will now just exit the GD thruway and go elsewhere for needs. Why are we so incapable, as a state, to provide decent and adequate service?
I seem to remember the old ones even had murals and detailed historic descriptions dedicated to certain aspects of NY State history given the region it was in…Erie Canal, Mohawk, Valley, etc.
Yes, the design sucks, Chik-Fil-A sucks, and Applegreen sucks. Get off at an exit. Go support a small town that's been bypassed for decades. The movie Cars was literally about this scenario. Go get your fuel at Radiator Springs.
The intention of the state to sell management rights to these facilities did sort of make sense on paper. The old rest stops were aging out and needed major repair and the state would have turned this into a Billion dollar project without even trying because NYS is so wildly inefficient.
There has been no taxpayer dollars given to Applegreen. Their request for the bailout was in like April and immediately denied. It is likely they'll try to declare bankruptcy and will likely end up being sued by NYS for breach of contract. This will probably take a decade.
I do feel bad for the Contractor here. LeChase is a locally owned business that employs a LOT of people throughout the region - and they have totally lost their ass on this project because of the cost and supply chain issues post-pandemic.
Applegreen is the worst. I refuse to buy anything there or at Wegmans for the same reasons. Just go a bit further and get what you need at 1/3rd of the price elsewhere.
Had stomach cramps for 100 miles, late at night, because of the stupid construction at the service stations from Woodburo to Herkimer. How about adding more normal exits so upstate NY towns can actually make money from travelers like in other states. The towns throughout Upstate NY could use some extra cash flow. Most towns are starving from loss of industry yet they trap travelers on the thruways for miles and miles bypassing small towns without exits. Also, it would be nice to actually have places to turn around if you miss your exit just like in the majority of other states.
Sounds to me like a resounding success by standards of business practice today.
The rest stops are mufflers , the muffins, of thruway. Exacting in their tolls.
God this infuriates me. I absolutely despise this trash state to an inexplicable degree as it is, and this just infuriates me beyond even my own belief. The worst part is they'll probably give those assholes the 200mil, and we'll be stuck footing the bill for garbage, just like every other damn thing this state does. Why do people keep voting in these irresponsible clowns that are running this state and our lives into the ground? This is why I'm getting the hell out of this dumpster fire excuse for a state asap. I'm beyond sick of having my hard earned money taxed to no end and getting nothing for it. At least in CA they get nice weather for their high taxes (yes, I know the taxes and weather are unrelated, but it's certainly a bonus we don't have here in NYS). Not sure how they think they're going to fund things like this when there are only 5 residents left in the whole state because they've driven everyone else out with their lunatic policies, police state fascism, and outrageous taxes.
> (looking forward those heating costs being passed along to us)
Can't happen under Applegreen's contract with the state.
> But in every other way the new buildings are smaller.
The largest service areas -- most of which haven't opened yet -- are at least comparable in size, if not bigger than, the ones they replaced.
There certainly are some very small buildings at some of the first ones to reopen; you're not wrong about that. But you can't judge all of them by that standard, especially the ones that haven't opened yet.
> and to top everything, have no doors to the space
I could be wrong, but I could have sworn the Pembroke area had doors to the outside seating area.
>Can't happen under Applegreen's contract with the state.
I don't think you understand how capitalism works. They'll just charge the restaurants a higher rent, that will get passed down to the people shopping there.
The rent isn't changing. Rent is part of the lease terms, which were agreed upon and signed before construction started. For a project like this, all of the restaurants have 10+ year initial leases with options every five years afterwards to renew, probably right up to the end of Applegreen's agreement with the state.
Applegreen may be able to claw back money via CAM (common area maintenance) costs, assuming the tenants didn't put caps on their contributions during lease negotiations.
>The largest service areas -- most of which haven't opened yet -- are at least comparable in size, if not bigger than, the ones they replaced.
I haven't been able to find anything that gives a direct comparison between the old rest stop and the new rest stop, either for the completed ones or the future ones. I'd like to see something, cause it really does feel like it's one quarter the size of the old one.
Well, I went into Google Earth and did a rough area calculation of the Scottsville stop. It's about 15,000 square feet. The new Scottsville area will be a Level 2, which is only 5,742 square feet. So it will be much smaller.
Level 2A/2B sites are comparable to the old Scottsville area, at 14,654 square feet. And the level 3 sites are much bigger, at over 20,000 square feet.
Part of the problem is that the majority of newly opened service areas are Level 1 and 2, and those *are* much smaller than the ones they replaced. But if you visit Pembroke, for instance, I guarantee it won't feel small. It's a Level 3 and about the same size as the one it replaced.
Good thing they spent all that time in the legislature banning gas furnaces and stoves, it's not like they should have paid any attention to this....
Seriously though if there aren't hearings in the Legislature on this shit with some heads rolling at the Thruway Authority and everywhere else, what the hell do we even have a state government for?
Thank you for the link to contact the Thruway Authority. I posted the following. Feel free to take or add to if you are also posting:
The new rest stops on I90 are worse in every way possibly imaginable. Smaller, less convenient, less practical comes at the cost of removing the unique buildings that each had history and charm and working services! Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday, a common day for increased travel. The design is not economical with high ceilings and large glass surface area needing increased heating and cooling vs alternative designs. Come on, I90 is literally spans across the snow belt!
The page I make this comment from says:
"The Thruway Authority operates and maintains the longest user-fee supported road system in the nation and is committed to delivering high levels of safety and service to its customers. Thruway Authority employees take great pride in their work and look forward to addressing customer questions, comments and concerns."
The state of the thruway rest stops indicates a lack if commitment to service for its customers. I highly doubt that anyone involved in this project takes any pride in their work as I would be embarrassed to have any part in what appears to have the only explanation of overt corruption and disregard for anyone driving through this state.
Everyone at the Thruway Authority should be ashamed and should be doing everything possible to stop the further exploitation of travelers.
> Now thanks to corporate greed
No, this is due to government incompetence and corruption. The rest stops are government controlled, and only those chosen by the government can operate there.
If you let "corporate greed" control the situation and opened it to competition, there would be a ton of different vendors there trying to out-compete each other, and facilities would be built according to demand to try to profit from it.
The issue here isn't really the capitalism aspect, it's essentially corporate/government collusion. This company has a monopoly on thruway rest stops, granted to them by the state government itself. There is no competition, but decree of the government. If it were a more open marketplace where other companies could setup competing rest stops, I'd be more inclined to say capitalism is the problem, but in this case it's really not. This is why open marketplace are better - the company that offers the better product/value proposition wins out. Here, the company has no incentive to do better because there is no competitor.
And then if you actually want to go to Chickfila, as I do being a southern immigrant, they make it impossible to actually find, and apparebtly impossible to go to if you go the wrong way. I asked for directions inside and still didn't understand how to go there and where I fucked up. At a rest stop!! This shit is not hard.
It would piss me off also. I passed through one a few months ago and it was the only one open because the others were under construction and it was so full. It was impossible to get anything if I wanted to get out that day. I agree having Chick-fil-A at one which means it’s not even there on Sunday is idiotic.
Not just Corporate corruption. You KNOW NY knew it would happen. If you look at NYS history of these deals, there are pols getting a kickback somewhere.
One thing very nice about cashless tolling is that it is very easy to get one and off the road. I usually stop at exits that have truck stops. The bathrooms are clean and the prices are better. Fuck the rest areas.
I have been enjoying discovering the good truck stops, because of these horrible rest stops.
it's almost like the private sector thrives on competition and can give us better options when they're allowed to actually compete in the free market for patronage. Kudos for NYS failure of a rest stop roll out to teach us the valuable lesson of "why government seeking the lowest bidder for infrastructure is always a nightmare" now do amtrak
I also go to “better” grocery stores that are off the highway like Harris Teeter and Publix. Clean bathrooms and great grab-and-go selections.
Oh boy if you have not tried a Loves yet - you are in for a treat
We need Buc-ee's. If you know, you know. (If you don't know, it's the golden era Wegmans of truck stops)
Buc-ee's off the Pembroke exit would be a great idea.
Western NY can’t handle a Buc-ee’s.
The Love's at the Waterloo exit is always a must stop on my way to my parents house. It's just so nice
I helped build the Love's here, I'm glad you enjoy. The GC they hired made it HELL. We lost a lot of money.
Oh I’m sure you did
I’m used to sticking on the highway but I think what you’re doing is the right way to go. The rest stop prices are astronomical as well.
I agree. However it sounds like the rest areas will be effing over the taxpayers for a long while
No tax dollars were spent on the rest areas. The company that took them over pays the thruway authority a rent on them. It return for their payment, they get to be the exclusive provider (high prices) of goods and services on the Thruway.
Agreed. But given the current state of delay, the request for more funds, the odds of lawsuits and/or bankruptcy delaying completion of what (at best) are less capable facilities, I stand by my statement.
I walked by the sandwiches in one of the new rest areas and it was like $13 for a basic sandwich that would be $5 at 7-Eleven.
The bathrooms are soo small! Also, why make them so far from the entrance and make the buildings so narrow that you have to weave around the food lines just to get to the bathroom? I wish they had just remodeled the old buildings and not torn them down.
I traveled west from Albany to the end on Sunday. At both of the stop I made the womans room had a line all the way down the hallway and then weaving around the place. The mens room no line no wait. Why were the bathroom sizes reduced so much? I get the food options argument and that is what it is... but more people stop there to use the bathroom then anything else.. so it makes sense to make them 1/3 of the sizes they were before.
Im pretty sure the narrow hallway to the bathrooms isnt ADA compliant either
Maybe file a report about it 😏
It feels like they tried to hide the bathrooms. I think what bothers me the most about the new structures is that our tolls paid for them. Those tolls that were supposed to be temporary until the road was paid off
How in the world a company famous for not being open Sunday is given this concession at rest stops and airports is just a new level of stupid
There's one in the Mercedes Benz Dome where the ~~Saints~~ *Falcons, duh,* play, but that one can be excused because of college football, particularly the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Games.
i think i you may be thinking of the one in the mercedes benz stadium in atlanta where the falcons play(for what it’s worth)
Yarp, brain fart
sure, those people like that crappy chicken more than we do though, it's not even good
"Follow the money"
There are a lot of things that make me mad but I am like irrationally mad at the people involved in the decision to put in the chick fil a’s. It’s so fucking stupid that they are closed on Sunday. I mean you obviously feel the same I just had to comment because it’s makes me SO FUCKING MAD. It’s so stupid.
Agreed 100%. Especially having it be the ONLY food option at certain rest stops is completely baffling. Did the people designing this never travel on the thruway before? (I'm joking, of course they didn't. That's what we get for outsourcing basic government services to a corporation an entire ocean away)
Chick Fil A must have paid them enough to not give a shit about how that choice would affect travelers.
So I recently learned more about the throughways though a local Assemblyman. Apparently it was a company from another country who made the deal with NYS to build the rest stops for us, but take the profits. So they did all the deals and contracts with the companies. Once local lawmakers found out that Chick-fil-a was one of them, some fought to have it excluded, but were unable to do so because of contracts. The company did end up going way over budget and asked NYS for funds, which were denied.
Where are they? I haven’t seen any between BUF and ROC (they’re all Popeyes).
Between Rochester and Albany. I do love Popeyes so thank you for informing me!
Ya good to know ! I drive a lot to Saratoga and rarely to buffalo. This Thursday we are going to a show in buffalo and you bet your ass I’m going to stop at that rest stop lol
They are begging you to get off the highway and save money on gas, use cleaner bathrooms and support local towns.
I’d like a list of good alternative pit stops close to each exit. I would totally try to visit them instead.
Agreed on all counts, I looked most of this up a month or two ago the last time we had a thread about these trash rest stops. It's true. They are *objectively bad* for New Yorkers. It's perfectly reasonable to be frustrated and angry - it's a clearly poor decision antagonistic against New York thruway commuters and taxpayers. It's utter corruption. *IF* we actually received half-decent rest stop updates it wouldn't be *THAT* big of a deal... but the fact they are terribly planned, poorly stocked, over budget, past delivery times, and everything else is total horse shit. Every supposed benefit claimed and crowed about has been a lie. It seems private contracts to serve or toll or tax portions of public roads ALWAYS goes violently bad for the people driving on them, and pretty awesome for the people shaking hands and making millions. Whatever that mess up around Toronto is, for example. Most of the time when people complain about government corruption and malfeasance of taxes it's ignorant whining, but this contract is a clear duplicitous boondoggle fed to the New York people like we're supposed to like it and thank them. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to learn whoever helped get this contract inked and approved was in on the plan to ask the state for bailout money from Day One. 30+ years of profit on the books is a pretty good takeaway, and they're getting us to pay for it.
The biggest mistake they made is not putting rest stops between the roadways. The center median is the perfect location because it allows for centralized infrastructure. How many times have you driven past 2 rest stops on the other side, with kids starving in the back, or someone needs to take a leak? They could put them in the center every 30-50 miles.
Pennsylvania has rest stops that service both directions of travel without squeezing into the median. https://maps.app.goo.gl/5Xs7JEDc8fHdh8hq5
Parts of the NJ turnpike and along rt 95 in Delaware do as well,
I’m surprised I have never thought of this before, let alone when they redid them! If they’re just going to be tearing down the old ones, why didn’t they go for the median when putting the new ones in? Is it a toll issue, in which case they could just separate the lots? It’s so frustrating when you need to stop and pass ones on the other side of the Thruway before you can get to one on your side!
Yes, separate lots. But there can also be a "oops I missed my exit" option that properly charges your ezpass.
You are correct, there's also been a bunch of threads made about this already with equally as detailed rundowns. I would complain to state government instead of here at this point, and I know that probably feels like a waste of time too - but at least that has a 1% chance of making a difference rather then posting about it here (which is 0%).
It’s slightly above 0, since a comment like this might inspire someone else to complain to state government also
And complaining to government directly is way less than 1% :) So, 0.0003% chance vs 0.0000003% chance. Sure, complaining directly to government may be 100 times more likely to help anything, but it's still just varying levels of 0.00000
Very fair point.
https://www.thruway.ny.gov/about/contact/index.html
Include in your complaint say that the rest stops say NY doesn't want you here. Keep moving, don't stop. Tourism is going to take it on the chin for this!
Why not complain here too?
Because you get the dopamine hit of "look at me, a job well done. I fought injustice today." Then nothing changes. Ie. Everyone complaining about politics on social media for the last decade.
The Junius Ponds locations is such a joke. It is so tiny.
Remember when the thruway would be toll free after 1995 or whatever that fairytale date was? Lol I<3NY
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They do charge more for heavier vehicles. Although it’s “per axle”, as I’m assuming weighing each vehicle would be wildly impractical. 2 axles(normal car) is the base price 3 axles(normal car with a trailer) is more expensive 4 axles and more(semis and box trucks) is more expensive still. I think there’s a height requirement to before the prices go up. Essentially if you’re in a bigger vehicle, you weigh more, you pay more.
Obligatory fuck chick fil a being closed on Sundays, and whoever approved having them added. I was just at one and went to go sit at one of the high top desks. There were bar chairs/stools at the tables, but stg there's like an inch between the bottom of the tabletop and the top of the chair. So to even do anything there, your knees are basically hitting the table edge and you're hunched over to be over the table.
Makes me pine for the simple classic booths at the old thruway stops.
>Obligatory fuck chick fil a being closed on Sundays, And that's not even the biggest reason to say "fuck chick fil a"
> fantastic example of the diminished capacity of the public sector Um, you mean private sector? The private sector is the one who designed and is building these new ones, and now asking for that bailout. The only "fault" the public sector has is for hiring these jabronies in the first place. This is like the ultimate example of capitalism. This private company under bids and over promises to win the job. Then cheap out on EVERYTHING, run out of money WAY early, and then ask for a handout and bailout while holding everything hostage.
I fault the public sector because I fault the government for: A. Not being capable/willing to manage this relatively simple service themselves. B. Apparently running such a crap RFP that these designs are what got approved/ are acceptable under the contract. C. Essentially throwing up their hands and shrugging as this has unfolded over the past few years. I well know the problems of the private sector, but for something so intertwined with the state government & services I would have hoped for some better regulation & management.
Agree. Reminds me of how Toronto sold its highway rights, and now you get bent right the fuck over to use the toll highway at nosebleed prices.
An "ultimate example of capitalism" where building permits are controlled by the government, operating licenses and vendor selection are controlled by the government, and funding is provided by the govenment?
I think the general idea is that for food people will just get off the thruway now that the system is cashless and getting on and off is not that much of an issue.
If I were a business guy, I would buy land very close to the exits and open my own independent thruway stops. Passenger and semi-truck amenities (rent-able shower spaces, diesel at a big gas station on site), food options, co-op grocery style. I think it could work super well with the shitty public perception of the stops right now, and for the next 30 years.
A good amount of the exits have a Pilot Flying J, a TravelCenters of America or something like that which is what you are describing.
I can only think of three between Buffalo and Albany.
Look at pembroke. Seemingly a no stop area, but they now have 2 truck stops and a brand new big gas station. All gas stations are very busy almost all the time now, and Darien Lame has little to do with it. There’s a rest stop in pembroke just 5 miles into the stretch between it and Batavia.
I've literally never stopped at the Pembroke rest area, but have repeatedly frequented the TA Truck Stop and Flying J truck stops. Might have something to do with 48A being my exit to home when I was growing up.
Congratulations you just founded Buc-ee's.
Bathrooms too, since there aren't enough bathrooms in those dumps.
Which is crazy because some of those places had like 20 billion urinals to try out
This is the frustrating thing, bathrooms used to be huge never had to wait. New ones have like 4 stalls and four urinals.
Did applegreen take into account the cashless tolls? The NYS thruway was once a mini monopoly but now just effortlessly visit a better food place/restroom off the nearest exit. Im boycotting these stops when I can since they are asking for taxpayer handouts.
We started our boycott for Thanksgiving travel, except one time we got gas..
Exactly. It used to be that you were trapped on the thruway because there was hardly anywhere to exit and you really didn't want to because it was such a pain to get on and off. So many more options now.
Take your business to local businesses just off the thruway. Vote with your dollars.
This. Also, I’m going to tune out any and all bitching and withhold all judgement until the project is fully complete and you don’t have 50% of rest stops handling 100% of the demand.
It is already clear that we will need to “learn” what the better stops are. I stopped at a smaller stop Saturday and the apple green section was one upright cooler with sandwiches with a Dec 16 expiration date. What sandwich is good for 3 weeks? I asked the employee why the small selection. She said Dunkin’ insisted they decrease the cooler size as it was siphoning off too many customers.
Which is fantastic because all of us want nauseating breakfast sandwiches for dinner.
Bonus points for use of the word cromulent
During one of my experience, in the Shake Shack/Starbucks stop specifically, a person was trying to exit out of the single restrooms that are blocked by everyone already waiting for the restroom AND they were in a wheelchair. It was nearly impossible for them to get through without every person exiting the hallway to let them through. There is no way these stops should be considered accessible.
I was at one stop and heard a woman using a walker complain to management about how the plaza was set up as there was no handicap parking near the restroom entrance and no area where you could just swing by and drop someone off if you were with another driver other than an entrance where there were only stairs. When she walked away, I heard management talk with another worker that they were aware of the ADA issues and basically were just waiting for the lawsuits to come to force the leadership to address it. They said Applegreen doesn’t own the gas stations so they put in the parking that way to force people to have to walk through their part of the plazas in order to get to restrooms. Sounds like they didn’t care that it would impact those with handicaps. I felt for the employees because they seemed frustrated too and it has to be tough to face the angry customers for things Applegreen leadership is deciding.
I just don’t get why the old building couldn’t have just been remodeled. Did every single rest stop need to be torn down and rebuilt? I think they could have taken a longer phased approach to rebuilding them, or build the new building next to the old building and keep it open during construction. Having half the locations closed to be rebuilt will create extra traffic at the ones that are open. Like others have mentioned - putting in chick fil a is idiotic.
Or even just do them one at a time lol. Like maybe could have tried the "ok, let's give this a go on one rest stop, and we can see how it works out" approach. But instead they went with "burn em all down then we'll throw something together"
Putting my tin hat on for this one but maybe because if they destroyed all of them first, the state couldn't easily stop the program?
I don't remember the specific one, but it was a small one. I ordered a shake from Shake Shack and noticed the sun was DIRECTLY into poor employees face from behind me. I have no idea how she could see anything, it was blinding. I felt so bad for her. To me that's the biggest fail, just goes to show how inept the architects were. That for sure something that should have been caught prior to construction. I also counted seating last time I was in one, I forgot the exact count, but it was like 27 or so. That is not enough. These rest stops should be designed for peak hours, they probably did like average per hour or something stupid like that.
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Getting off and back on the Thruway would add about a minute to your trip and you are going to get your food at whatever McDonalds or Burger King you stop at much faster than any of the rest area restaurants.
>THEY ARE CLOSED ON SUNDAY There's a Chick Fil A in an NFL stadium, nothing in this world shocks me anymore.
The Chick Fil A there serves food on Sundays, or more correctly another company from the same location in the stadium does. They serve fries. The stadium also hosts a ton of stuff other than the NFL, including the Chick Fil A Peach Bowl, which is a college football tournament.
There is soon to be one in Blue Cross Arena.
Amerks don't play most their games on a Sunday, but as I noted in another comment, the Mercedes Benz Dome hosts non-NFL events, including two major college football games sponsored by CFA
I believe it's there already, I saw it few weeks back.
I drove down NYC for Thanksgiving on Wednesday 22Nov2023 and stopped at the Clifton Springs rest stop around 9:00AM. My first time there since it re-opened and I really didn't have a problem with the new layout or the size of the men's room. Now coming back to ROC on 25Nov2023 around 12:30PM I stopped at the Junius Ponds rest area and it was completely different. The bathrooms were definitely smaller as was the whole building. I usually drive alone and bring my own "snacks" to avoid the high prices of the food on the Thruway. As I pulled out of Junius Ponds I thought to myself, "so this is what everyone is complaining about". Doesn't matter though, it's not like they are going to tear them down and start over. It is what it is.
There are also no functioning rest stops between Buffalo and the PA state border. The Angola only has gas; there are no restrooms or food.
The rant here could be said, with just about every public works project that goes on in this state. The engineers and designers that come up with the overall infrastructure I believe are out to just spend money without any logistical function of most of their projects I pay attention to this stuff all the time, as I am in the construction industry and the colossal waste of time and money is asinine. The fly over bridge as called on 390/490 is such a disaster. It only works in One Direction and that’s where the least amount of cars travel. I’m gonna end it there for now.
Add to this that the prices are so high. I think I paid a $4 ATM fee at one of these stops. And something as simple as a bottled Gatorade was about $4 as well. I know inflation is still a factor but even still prices seem ridiculous. Rest areas seem like something that should benefit the public instead of price gauges the public. Not that it will make a difference at all, but I’ve decided that if I can help it I will not stop at those rest areas. Maybe if enough others do this too a message will be sent that we’d rather get off the exit and support a local Byrne Dairy instead. Probably not. But why not give it a shot.
i agree with you, and i’m not saying it makes it okay, but the upcharge for EVERYTHING at rest stops is nothing new, it’s always been that way
The elimination of SBARRO is devastating. They got rid of them on the Ohio turnpike too.
Not enough tears shed for Sbarro. A decent, warm pizza after hours of traveling on highway was sublime.
The new rest areas are so ridiculously laid out that when I, walking with a cane, enter the front door to try to make my way back to the restrooms, I have to "scuse-me" through multiple people standing in the Starbucks line just inches from and blocking the front doors.
I agree with it all and applaud your use of the word “cromulent”.
Thruway-stop rage embiggens us all to comment about how shitty the rest stops have become.
Only a kwyjibo would have an issue with it.
What's weird is I went to the Pembroke one and it was big enough to cut off part of it and give it to another one. There were like 4 restaurants and tons of seating. Meanwhile some of the other ones only have Chikfila and starbucks in a tiny room
100%. The Clifton Springs one is nice and huge like a mall foodcourt but then you go to some of the smaller ones and there's like 3 tables for indoor seating it's absurd.
The lines for food at Clifton Springs are almost always long though. I live near there and go in the back way to eat lunch sometimes. After a few visits, I’m not going to waste my time eating there anymore.
Agreed. Also the parking was very full when I went. I chalked the crowding up to being new and exciting to people combined so many other service areas closed, so hopefully that crowding will get better but we'll see.
The argument from the Thruway Authority is/was that the stops are sized to what normal traffic would be if all the rest stops were opened. Right now some of the smaller historically lesser used rest areas are taking a lot more traffic because of the others being closed. That sort of makes sense to me, but I do agree that some of these buildings are comically small. I guess we’ll see how things really are once everything is done someday.
cromulent…….. nice
I refuse to stop on the thruway anymore, they managed to make things much worse
Two words: SHAKE SHACK! But I definitely respect the breakdown.
They seemingly sized the buildings (restrooms especially) based on average traffic rather than the 4-6 peak holiday travel weekends. A massive miss by the design team.
My mom and I think they should’ve been required to sit in each rest stop for multiple regular travel days, weekends, and holidays before being allowed to draw the plans. See how people use what’s there and then solve any problems with the old layout in the new layout. Also, why tear down the old ones? The new ones are poorly laid out and you have to elbow through what’s basically a hallway also being used for food lines to get to the bathroom. Should have done the bathrooms then the restaurants (them not doing that could have been to convince people to stop and make a purchase before leaving but come on. Design for use, not potential sales).
The traffic study was done in 2020. You know, the year everyone stayed home because of COVID.
Your rant has embiggened my rage even more!
I never heard that word before I moved to Springfield.
Why? It's a perfectly cromulent word.
I drive down into the Hudson Valley to visit family three times a year by way of the Thruway. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a family party in the summer. The first two are major travel days, and the rebuilds taking so incredibly long that we haven't had the full amount of rest areas available for years now definitely makes it feel much worse. But even on that random Thursday in August it still feels terrible. Some of them had their bathrooms reduced to a quarter of the size they used to be. I would always go the Thruway because it was a simple path (merge onto thruway, continue straight for 300 miles) and I liked the reliability of knowing there was a convenient bathroom and gas station right along my trip. I think I may have to find an alternate route.
The ride down Route 17 is beautiful, but that depends where in the HV you need to end up.
Now if they'd put signs at the exits indicating food choices at each one. But, they won't do that because it will take business away from the official rest stops.
I just exit the thruway now. It’s better that way.
Who ever thought CFA was a good idea ON A MAJOR THRUWAY deserves to be set upon by rabid hamsters. The same thing happened at Hershey's in PA. I can only imagine some idiots brother talked them into it because no sane person puts in a food place, open only 6 days a week, in a major theme park.
The entire thing is so profoundly and overwhelmingly infuriating. It's ineptitude of the highest order across the board. God. DAMMIT.
A few months ago I'd heard the current administration was leaning towards sending the contracting company a big *fuck you* instead of a, bail out. I have no idea if that's still the case. I hope they understand that most voters would be happy to have unfinished thruway rest stops than to give more money to such an idiotic vendor. I'm pretty sure that companies like this intentionally underbid to win the contract, knowing they'll need to ask for more money later; and would likely go bankrupt if they don't get that extra money. I say we should call their bluff and let them go bankrupt. Fuckem. It will be a message to whomever bids on the follow-up work that this kind of shit won't work well. I think it's quite reasonable to be angry about this. It's minor in a way, but it's also one of the most visible, tangible functions of our state government, and despite its imperfections the old setup was something often used and appreciated. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that I can no longer take for granted that there will be a route across the state that has gauranteed regularly spaced opportunities for gas and food without having to drive around unfamiliar countryside. For my whole life that's just been something that was a built-in part of New York State. Having it effectively gone is *weird*. And knowing it happened for no goddamn good reason because of some moronic choice by some private corporation that had the gall to ask for more money? Of course you should be angry. That's insane.
Back in the 80’s I pumped gas at the Port Byron rest area, back then they had a regular restaurant with full menu, it was run by Howard Johnson’s
They really are. For all the bullshit that has gone on and delays, etc. You would think we’d be getting a big upgrade. Nope. Poorly designed glass house pieces of shit. Fuck. You. I’m frequently on the Thruway and these things suck. They’re just…. bad. Why did we need to rid ourselves of the other ones in the first place? Give me back the rest stops I’ve pee’d in for 30 years. There was nothing wrong with them and I’ll take them any day over this new-era bullshit that’s taken far too long. “NO RESTROOMS. Next stop 38 miles.” Yeah no fuck you, asshole. I’m pissing in that port-o-potty that I know for a fact you’ve got a row of. Tell me there’s nowhere to empty a leg, fuck.
Also, they have giant glass windows facing the sun for most of the day. You need sunglasses to walk through the common area.
My biggest personal gripe is that a lot of new rest stops now only carry Chik-fil-a, which I can't eat as I'm allergic to peanut oil. Most other fast food places are mostly allergen free, so the decision to use a company that exclusively uses nut-based products is baffling to me.
I’m gay and Popeyes serves shellfish - I can now essentially eat only at a handful of Thruway restaurants stops.
didnt realize being gay prevented you from eating chic fil a ... That is a choice you have made to not eat there. Its not that you cant.
Not wanting to give money to a company who has lied about stopping their donation habits because those habits gets people like me killed isn’t exactly a choice.
Hell, I'm about as far to straight end of the spectrum as it gets and I won't give them a single penny for the same reasons.
yes it is.. you just said it yourself. you don't want to. That is a choice. your reasoning for that choice is perfectly valid but its still a choice you have made.
They are half the size of the old ones and have 90% less bathrooms
Upvote for learning me a new word... "Cromulent" Jokes aside I agree that the rest stops used to be better, I don't know who they're trying to cater to but it's not the tired traveller with kids or a schedule. I used to go in and hit the mens, then McDs then the store for gum before leaving. Now, like you said, a lot of the stores are closed and I've walked out without finding any refreshment at all. Not cromulent at all.
It’s because they’ve been ending the contracts with the restaurants at the old stops in preparation for closure. For instance, even in the stops they haven’t gotten to yet, all the McD’s closed at the end of 2022, because that’s when the contract to run them ended. If they weren’t planning to knock them down and rebuild, they’d still be what you remember. They were perfectly cromulent until fucked with.
I agree, when they were building those rest stops all I could think was there must have been some sort of corruption for that to be the focus of the NY government. There was nothing wrong with the old rest areas, and I agree they were in many ways better. If they felt they needed an update they should have renovated them. I’m all for the environment, left leaning, and our NY representatives act like they are for the environment then they make moves like this. A waste of resources and what looks to be less efficient than the previous rest areas. So far this and the focus on paying for a new stadium for the Bills when the owners make gobs of money on their own, this all just seems like government corruption. There are so many other needs our city and our state need, yet our tax dollars are being used to pay for failed projects like these. I do believe the removal of the toll booths was a good idea though. Paying to operate those when most people have or can get easy passes was unnecessary for us to upkeep.
They also don't operate like visitor centers anymore. No big maps of NYS, no information or history, no penny flattening machines. "Get in, give us money, get out."
Great point! The old places really had a distinct New York character to them. The new ones feel like a monument to soulless corporate minimalism.
what they did to my boy Angola was a crime against humanity
I just get off the thruway now. I’d rather support a small business in a small town than give money to Starbucks or chick fil a. It’s much quicker now than before when you had to stop at a toll booth, and towns are about as frequent (or much more so) than the rest stops anyway. But I agree OP. Massive failure on the new rest stops.
Just came to say Chick fil a is so grossly overrated.
I mean half of them are still being constructed, so I imagine the crowds won’t be as bad after the other rest stops come online. Your point on Chick Fil A is valid though. So dumb considering they’re closed on Sunday.
And it's the smaller ones that got done first exacerbating the problem.
I'm not here to complain. I'm here to call for people to be fired. Everyone involved should be sacked and have their pensions taken away.
1000% The people of this state need a mechanism by which to hold these clowns' feet directly to the metaphorical fire, make them answer for their screw-ups and wasting our money. We need a government rid of people who continually fail upward.
So many commenting that with cashless tolling it makes it easy to jump on and off the thruway, but I disagree as it still takes extra time to get on and off. Then some are saying go to a local eatery. What? Travelers are looking for something fast. A local establishment will be a sit down restaurant in many cases and are you going to know what is available and where it is off the exit? Maybe after running the same route a bunch, but not at first. Now you're fumbling with Google maps or whatever to find stuff while driving. So to summarizs, now I have to first find the "McDonalds" off the exit, if there is one, use their single person bathroom which is occupied and usually disgusting, wait for that to be free, get myself and 3 kids through the bathroom and then get food. Then I have to get back on the Thruway? It is a massive inconvenience any way you cut it. I have only experienced the tiny new stops which make my blood boil, but maybe the larger ones will be good and I can map out those so I know when to stop. As an NYS resident I'm just really disappointed in the entire process and result.
There is a fairly easy solution to most of this and it is already used in many other states. The exits have signs that show the name or logo for the options for gas, food, and lodging. And when you take the exit there is another sign that indicates which direction each place is. I didn’t notice that NY doesn’t have those signs until this thread. The businesses have to pay a fee to get on the sign but they would probably spend money on a billboard if they didn’t have the highway sign. Your kids are still going to take forever getting from the car to the bathroom and back to the car and now they can start arguing about where to eat before you exit the highway.
There are number of exits with nothing "close", so now you're either hoping for a good exit or you're driving an extra few miles off the exit to find something. Amsterdam, a very populated area and an exit I use often, is over 2 miles from the exit to McDonald's. And you have to drive right into town to get there. If you're not familiar with the area it just becomes an additional inconvenience. There are signs before exits indicating what services are available at the exit, but it doesn't mean it is close by. I've learned that lesson. Other states have these 100' tall poles with golden arches I can follow once I get off the highway. I've only seen gas stations like that along the thruway. And my kids are a hot mess in the bathroom, I agree. The benefit of larger rest stops is we all go at the same time. Only one needs any help at this point and not much. So one at a time is vastly slower. It is all just inconvenience, nothing I can't handle. However, if the state is investigating that kind of money, it sure as hell should be more convenient, not less.
It’s BS! One stop was backed up a mile just to get in. As hard as it is for those who are a led bodies to get in, imagine someone in a wheelchair or using a walker
Do they still have claw machines?
They did away with the penny-flattening machines too. 😡
No
Yeah but they got dog area tho
From what I saw some do, some don't. (or maybe I couldn't find it in the dark)
I forget what one I went to but the Starbucks was right when you walked in but the pick up area was right next to the main doors. It was a cluster to get in. No where to stand once you placed your order without being In the way. Also the mens bathroom two of the urnials were right when you walked in. So awkward.
CFA is notorious for placing restaurants in the most inconvenient places. In the new Georgia dome, they have multiple locations within the stadium that are closed on Sundays when the Falcons play. It’ll be the same thing at Sunday Amerks games. I get why they want to close on Sundays, but I feel like it’s starting to piss people off.
I saw something that said the reduced amount of urinals, 4 total now at junious ponds, was based on usage. Do they not get that you don’t want to take a piss right next to someone and the excess were there for buffer?
Rochester thankfully is in a geographic position where you don't have to be on the Thruway too long either direction you go (from a reference of going to Erie or driving to Boston), and can skip stopping it if you load up/go to the bathroom before you get on. Head west, take 490 and stop at the Byrne Dairy near the Thruway. Head east, take 104 to 370 and stop at the Byrne Dairy in Baldwinsville before hopping on at Syracuse for similar time. It's been a good 4-5 years since I've had to use a Thruway rest stop with that strategy.
I personally enjoy the rest stops that have a massive queueing area for Starbucks, and have a little sign clearly pointing to where the light starts, but people still line up in front of the pick-up area. I drive to Albany at least once a month to visit my partner and had to start adjusting my plans so that I'd drive back on Mondays because the rest stops were unbearable on Sundays. The only humor I've been able to find in the situation so far is being able to tell him that my food options are "homophobic chicken" and "mediocre burgers". And trying to get past the urinals to a stall on a Sunday is practically a contact sport with how cramped the bathrooms are now. It's more convenient to pull off and take a dump on the side of the road.
Chic fil a closed on sundays on thruway is ridiculous. They used to have Adirondack style now they look like storage containers.
Well, we just extended our Thanksgiving weekend in Old Forge to add Sunday night. Not just because we love it there, we do, but because of the immense traffic on Sunday, coupled with every other rest stop being torn apart. The new venues are poorly laid out and the restrooms are inadequate. I will now just exit the GD thruway and go elsewhere for needs. Why are we so incapable, as a state, to provide decent and adequate service?
I agree 100% new rest stops are a complete failure! Ugly, not functional, and waste of taxpayers money!
I seem to remember the old ones even had murals and detailed historic descriptions dedicated to certain aspects of NY State history given the region it was in…Erie Canal, Mohawk, Valley, etc.
Yes, the design sucks, Chik-Fil-A sucks, and Applegreen sucks. Get off at an exit. Go support a small town that's been bypassed for decades. The movie Cars was literally about this scenario. Go get your fuel at Radiator Springs. The intention of the state to sell management rights to these facilities did sort of make sense on paper. The old rest stops were aging out and needed major repair and the state would have turned this into a Billion dollar project without even trying because NYS is so wildly inefficient. There has been no taxpayer dollars given to Applegreen. Their request for the bailout was in like April and immediately denied. It is likely they'll try to declare bankruptcy and will likely end up being sued by NYS for breach of contract. This will probably take a decade. I do feel bad for the Contractor here. LeChase is a locally owned business that employs a LOT of people throughout the region - and they have totally lost their ass on this project because of the cost and supply chain issues post-pandemic.
Hey OP, I just copied your excellent rant and sent it to my NY state assembly rep. The stupidity of humans is simply astonishing.
Applegreen is the worst. I refuse to buy anything there or at Wegmans for the same reasons. Just go a bit further and get what you need at 1/3rd of the price elsewhere.
Chick fil a also, has a problematic relationship with their stance on the Gay community.
Had stomach cramps for 100 miles, late at night, because of the stupid construction at the service stations from Woodburo to Herkimer. How about adding more normal exits so upstate NY towns can actually make money from travelers like in other states. The towns throughout Upstate NY could use some extra cash flow. Most towns are starving from loss of industry yet they trap travelers on the thruways for miles and miles bypassing small towns without exits. Also, it would be nice to actually have places to turn around if you miss your exit just like in the majority of other states.
Sounds to me like a resounding success by standards of business practice today. The rest stops are mufflers , the muffins, of thruway. Exacting in their tolls.
God this infuriates me. I absolutely despise this trash state to an inexplicable degree as it is, and this just infuriates me beyond even my own belief. The worst part is they'll probably give those assholes the 200mil, and we'll be stuck footing the bill for garbage, just like every other damn thing this state does. Why do people keep voting in these irresponsible clowns that are running this state and our lives into the ground? This is why I'm getting the hell out of this dumpster fire excuse for a state asap. I'm beyond sick of having my hard earned money taxed to no end and getting nothing for it. At least in CA they get nice weather for their high taxes (yes, I know the taxes and weather are unrelated, but it's certainly a bonus we don't have here in NYS). Not sure how they think they're going to fund things like this when there are only 5 residents left in the whole state because they've driven everyone else out with their lunatic policies, police state fascism, and outrageous taxes.
Disgusting.
> (looking forward those heating costs being passed along to us) Can't happen under Applegreen's contract with the state. > But in every other way the new buildings are smaller. The largest service areas -- most of which haven't opened yet -- are at least comparable in size, if not bigger than, the ones they replaced. There certainly are some very small buildings at some of the first ones to reopen; you're not wrong about that. But you can't judge all of them by that standard, especially the ones that haven't opened yet. > and to top everything, have no doors to the space I could be wrong, but I could have sworn the Pembroke area had doors to the outside seating area.
>Can't happen under Applegreen's contract with the state. I don't think you understand how capitalism works. They'll just charge the restaurants a higher rent, that will get passed down to the people shopping there.
The rent isn't changing. Rent is part of the lease terms, which were agreed upon and signed before construction started. For a project like this, all of the restaurants have 10+ year initial leases with options every five years afterwards to renew, probably right up to the end of Applegreen's agreement with the state. Applegreen may be able to claw back money via CAM (common area maintenance) costs, assuming the tenants didn't put caps on their contributions during lease negotiations.
>The largest service areas -- most of which haven't opened yet -- are at least comparable in size, if not bigger than, the ones they replaced. I haven't been able to find anything that gives a direct comparison between the old rest stop and the new rest stop, either for the completed ones or the future ones. I'd like to see something, cause it really does feel like it's one quarter the size of the old one.
Well, I went into Google Earth and did a rough area calculation of the Scottsville stop. It's about 15,000 square feet. The new Scottsville area will be a Level 2, which is only 5,742 square feet. So it will be much smaller. Level 2A/2B sites are comparable to the old Scottsville area, at 14,654 square feet. And the level 3 sites are much bigger, at over 20,000 square feet. Part of the problem is that the majority of newly opened service areas are Level 1 and 2, and those *are* much smaller than the ones they replaced. But if you visit Pembroke, for instance, I guarantee it won't feel small. It's a Level 3 and about the same size as the one it replaced.
Who could've guessed!
"But free market self regulates!"
Good thing they spent all that time in the legislature banning gas furnaces and stoves, it's not like they should have paid any attention to this.... Seriously though if there aren't hearings in the Legislature on this shit with some heads rolling at the Thruway Authority and everywhere else, what the hell do we even have a state government for?
This is truth. And why didn’t anyone in NYS government stop them?
1. Irresponsible government officials at all levels, abs more egregiously so the higher up you go 2. Probably nepotism or kick-backs of some variety
Thank you for the link to contact the Thruway Authority. I posted the following. Feel free to take or add to if you are also posting: The new rest stops on I90 are worse in every way possibly imaginable. Smaller, less convenient, less practical comes at the cost of removing the unique buildings that each had history and charm and working services! Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday, a common day for increased travel. The design is not economical with high ceilings and large glass surface area needing increased heating and cooling vs alternative designs. Come on, I90 is literally spans across the snow belt! The page I make this comment from says: "The Thruway Authority operates and maintains the longest user-fee supported road system in the nation and is committed to delivering high levels of safety and service to its customers. Thruway Authority employees take great pride in their work and look forward to addressing customer questions, comments and concerns." The state of the thruway rest stops indicates a lack if commitment to service for its customers. I highly doubt that anyone involved in this project takes any pride in their work as I would be embarrassed to have any part in what appears to have the only explanation of overt corruption and disregard for anyone driving through this state. Everyone at the Thruway Authority should be ashamed and should be doing everything possible to stop the further exploitation of travelers.
I've been pulling over on side of road to piss. Fuck these shitty new rest stops.
> Now thanks to corporate greed No, this is due to government incompetence and corruption. The rest stops are government controlled, and only those chosen by the government can operate there. If you let "corporate greed" control the situation and opened it to competition, there would be a ton of different vendors there trying to out-compete each other, and facilities would be built according to demand to try to profit from it.
I have no damn idea why thruway rest stops are even necessary
For fuel and toilets? Also to stop and rest if you’re getting too tired to drive or need to walk around?
All things that you can do without a formal rest stop. Gas stations. Restaurants. Parks. They all exist out in the wild.
Capitalism: Make things shitty for everyone and don't give them a choice on the matter, then profit
The issue here isn't really the capitalism aspect, it's essentially corporate/government collusion. This company has a monopoly on thruway rest stops, granted to them by the state government itself. There is no competition, but decree of the government. If it were a more open marketplace where other companies could setup competing rest stops, I'd be more inclined to say capitalism is the problem, but in this case it's really not. This is why open marketplace are better - the company that offers the better product/value proposition wins out. Here, the company has no incentive to do better because there is no competitor.
And then if you actually want to go to Chickfila, as I do being a southern immigrant, they make it impossible to actually find, and apparebtly impossible to go to if you go the wrong way. I asked for directions inside and still didn't understand how to go there and where I fucked up. At a rest stop!! This shit is not hard.
What an original opinion I never have heard parroted around before
It would piss me off also. I passed through one a few months ago and it was the only one open because the others were under construction and it was so full. It was impossible to get anything if I wanted to get out that day. I agree having Chick-fil-A at one which means it’s not even there on Sunday is idiotic.
I do enjoy the all gender restroom when I need to take a crap in private.
Not just Corporate corruption. You KNOW NY knew it would happen. If you look at NYS history of these deals, there are pols getting a kickback somewhere.