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This is a collaborative post.
Interstates are arguably America’s most important highways and are a vital part of getting from A to B, especially for those who have made driving a career, such as truck drivers. Did you know that there is a huge difference between the 95% that were built with funding from federal highway user taxes than the 5% that were made backed by toll-revenue finance?
What’s the Big Deal?
The difference is actually quite staggering.
The interstate rest area funded by federal highway user taxes will only provide travelers with “rest areas” that contain:
- Restrooms
- Vending Machines
- Small Amount of Parking
Interstate rest areas backed by toll-revenue finance could potentially provide:
- Vehicle Refueling
- Food and Beverage Eateries
- Minor Shopping Areas
- Better Amount of Parking
The problem is that these more efficient rest areas only account for 5% of rest areas. Career drivers sacrifice so much for their jobs (family, staying in a comfortable home, sleep); the least we could do is provide them with more adequate rest stops. Writing to your local senator could get people talking about the issue, but what else is there?
What Can Be Done?
A policy could be thought about in which to make more rest stops that are more serviceable to drivers. However, in the meantime, an interstate rest area app could potentially help drivers locate more suitable interstate rest areas, even locating them by certain needs.
What Else is Wrong?
A study was conducted in 2018 by an expert committee of the Transportation Research Board This study concluded that:
- Most of the Interstate system is on the brink of ruin and needs to be reconstructed for modern motorists
Therefore, we are not only providing our drivers with shabby interstate rest areas, but we are also allowing them to drive on potentially dangerous roads.
The interstate rest areas are bad enough, but when the interstate roads themselves are crumbling, that is just asking for a whole lot of trouble. This policy could save thousands of lives. The state of the interstates and the interstate rest areas doesn’t just affect career drivers, but everyone that uses them, including the politicians ignoring them.
As mentioned before, there is a policy that is being discussed. This policy would improve upon the stability and condition of pavement and bridges. This will not only make things better for career drivers, but all drivers.