NYS Thruway service areas receive criticism from travelers, state leaders
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — It’s been just over two years since plans were announced to modernize the New York State Thruway Authority’s rest stop stations. However, not everyone is excited about the new facilities.
Construction is done at the Clifton Springs Travel Plaza, but some are saying both this location and others still need some work.
The 27 service area project is more than a third of the way complete, with 10 stations being rebuilt across the thruway. The $450 million investment is meant to better the quality of food service and amenities for travelers, which travelers like Maria Jacobi say it has accomplished.
“This is the rest stop that we love to stop. My sister lives in Boston, so we make this trip all the time,” she says, “and this is awesome.”
However, not everyone agrees. These service areas have already gotten their fair share of criticism. Josh Dieter traveling to Cortland from Rochester, and he’s most concerned about the time it takes to get in and out of the service station.
“Very crowded, understaffed. I went to Starbucks to get a drink, and it was going to be 20 minutes for a frozen drink. I was like, I don’t have that much time to wait, you know,” says Josh.
New York State Assemblyman Harry Bronson is hearing complaints from customers too. He says there’s room for improvement at these rest stops.
He says, “Being a person in the restaurant business two decades. There are a couple concepts about your eateries. Some are fast food. You want people in, you want them out, in, out, in, out… But the problem is they don’t have adequate facilities to do that.”
The New York State Thruway Authority says they’ve required no two consecutive service areas are closed in the same direction in an effort to continue convenience for travelers. Construction on all 27 service stations is set to be completed in 2025.
Source: RochesterFirst
