Traveler Expectations and Future Use of Highway Rest Areas in the Western United States A Proposal Submitted to the Nevada Department of Transportation Principal Investigator: Timothy J. Gates, Ph.D., P.E. Associate Professor Michigan State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 428 S. Shaw Lane, Room:3573 East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 353-7224
[email protected] Co-Principal Investigator: Peter T. Savolainen, Ph.D., P.E. MSU Foundation Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Michigan State University 428 S Shaw Ln, Room 3559 East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 432-1825
[email protected] PROBLEM DESCRIPTION The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) operates and maintains a total of 35 rest areas, which serve a variety of functions for both the traveling public and drivers of commercial motor vehicles. The public tends to use these rest areas when drivers are fatigued, experience problems with their vehicles, or when an occupant needs to use the restroom. Many of these stops are unplanned, in contrast to commercial vehicle drivers who typically follow a precise, pre-planned route that may include stops at rest areas to meet federal regulation on driving time limits. Ultimately, the decision to use a rest area is dictated by a number of factors, including the availability of alternate facilities along the travel route, such as truck stops/gas stations, fast-food restaurants, and motels. These private facilities provide users with additional services such as gasoline, showers, lodging, and dining options as opposed to publicly maintained rest areas, which generally include only minimal services such as parking, restrooms, and vending machines.