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Compilation and Evaluation of Rest Area Issues and Designs

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Compilation and Evaluation of Rest Area Issues and Designs 54 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD 1224 Compilation and Evaluation of Rest Area Issues and Designs DAVID w. FOWLER, W. THOMAS STRAUGHAN, ANV Km.BY W. PERRY A research study was conducted to determine the required design areas in six states: Califorma, Georgia, Louisiana, Oregon, for rest areas with particular emphasis on comfort stations. Many Texas, and Washington. The meetings provided answers to sources of information were used: personal visits with Department questions concerning rest area design that were prepared in of Transportation rest area professionals in six states, telephone advance of the meeting. Other topics germane to rest area surveys of officials in twelve other states, visits to other agencies design, operation, and maintenance were also discussed. that maintain comfort stations, literature surveys, complaint and Drawings, plans, and specifications for rest areas in each state commendation letters received from users of Texas rest areas, rest were provided. These meetings were followed by a tour of area surveys, visits with legal counsel for the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation, and visits to Texas rest several of the rest areas in each of these states. In addition, areas and interviews of maintenance personnel. A summary of rest areas were inspected in the state of Mississippi. current design criteria is presented for site size, location, spacing, Comprehensive telephone surveys were conducted with the and lighting; building design and layout; interior building design; professionals involved in the design, maintenance, and oper­ plumbing fixtures; and operations and maintenance. Recommen­ ation of highway roadside rest areas in 12 states: Arkansas, dations are made for design in these areas. An example design of Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mex­ a rest area is presented. ico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. The initial stimulus for highway roadside rest area develop­ Separate meetings were held with the representatives of ment came in the form of a provision of the Federal-Aid three SDHPT districts. District personnel responded to an Highway Act of 1938, which stated that "the States, with the extensive questionnaire. Each of the meetings was followed aid of Federal funds, may include ... such sanitary and other by a visit to a district rest area and an interview with the rest facilities as may be deemed necessary to provide for the suit­ area attendant, who responded to another set of prepared able accommodations of the public." questions from a second questionnaire. While this act is considered to mark the birth of the highway roadside rest area in the United States, rest area growth did not really begin until passage of the Interstate Highway Act Other Agency Surveys of 1956. However, the major impetus for the construction of highway roadside rest areas was the passage of the Highway Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife Beautification Act of 1965, together with the establishment of the Highway Trust Fund. A meeting and several subsequent discussions were held with Today's rest area user has come to expect more than just the professionals involved in the design, operation, and main­ a place to rest, and the Texas State Department of Highways tenance of all state park facilities in the Texas Department and Public Transportation (SDHPT) initiated this research of Parks and Wildlife. Answers were provided for a detailed project to determine the rest area design, operations, and list of questions concerning park facilities-primarily comfort maintenance criteria required to serve the needs of the high­ stations and related utilities and services. way traveler. Six reports have been issued (J-6). Two of the In addition, an inspection tour of 13 Texas Parks and Wild­ reports discuss energy sources and water and wastewater design. life installations was conducted for the purpose of providing These topics are not discussed in this paper because of space a large sample of this agency's handling of problems similar limitations. to those encountered in the design, operation, and mainte­ nance of highway roadside rest areas. Most of the parks were relatively remote areas, and there are many similarities involved SOURCE OF INFORMATION in the construction and maintenance of these and highway rest area facilities. State Surveys Meetings were held with the professionals involved in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers design, operation, and maintenance of highway roadside rest An inspection tour of five U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public use areas along the shores of Lake Somerville, near Somerville, Tex., was conducted to view their park facilities D. W. Fowkr and K. W. Perry, Department of Civil Engineering, ECJ 5.2, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tex. 78712-1076. and comfort stations. A secondary purpose of this trip was to W .. T. Straughan, Department of Civil Engineering. Texas Tech compare the site-built comfort stations that are being replaced U111versJty, Lubbock, Tex. 79423. by factory-manufactured restrooms. Fowler et al. SS Legal Counsel RESEARCH FINDINGS Meetings were arranged with both the Texas Attorney Gen­ The underlying fundamental approach used in the research eral's office and the highway department's legal counsel to effort was to determine the guidelines and recommendations discuss critical items of concern regarding rest area design, of those practicing professionals who have devoted a signif­ construction, operation, and maintenance. icant portion of their careers to the design, operation, and maintenance of roadside rest areas. Although pertinent information obtained from other agen­ Literature Review cies was considered where applicable together with the lit­ erature review and surveys, the major thrust of the research An extensive search was conducted to identify all available concentrated on the practices and recommendations from the literature that might be pertinent to the research. Unfortu­ states. By using this approach, it was possible to learn what nately, most of the 67 books and papers that might be per­ not to do, as well as what should be done in the design, tinent were written during the period that marked the major operation, and maintenance of highway roadside rest areas. thrust in highway roadside rest area construction, namely, the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, and these do not all reflect the current state of rest area design. Spacing Criteria The research sought to determine the highway roadside rest Factory-Manufactured Restrooms area spacing criteria used by each state, both currently and when the program was initially established. In addition, state The Restroom Facilities Division of Intex Corporation in Ennis, officials were asked if they were satisfied with the current Tex., was visited to observe the manufacturing process and criteria and, if not, what criteria they would recommend. the finished products for the consideration of alternative com­ Virtually all states used the criteria of 30 miles apart or 30 fort station designs and construction techniques. This plant minutes' driving time between rest areas as their spacing goal designs and manufactures a line of commercial restrooms that at the initiation of the program. (The 30-mi or 30-minute are primarily targeted for park installations. criterion is synonymous with the 60 MPH speed limit that was prevalent in most states at the time.) Only five of the states surveyed actually achieved this goal by July 1986. One-hour Review, Compilation, and Summary of Complaint driving time between rest areas or 50 to 60 mi apart is the and Commendation Letters current spacing criterion for the majority of states. All letters were reviewed from the traveling public regarding highway roadside rest areas that were received by SDHPT Overall Design Criteria between January 1984 and July 1985. The complaints were categorized and summarized, and specific comments were All of the states surveyed, except four, are using a formula itemized. developed by the Oregon Department of Transportation that starts with the average daily traffic. Although all the states surveyed use a format similar to this, there are some rather Rest Area User Surveys minor variances in the factors used. For example, some states assume that the ratio of males to total restroom facility users A rest area interview form was developed after extensive is 0.5 , whereas others use a factor of 0.4 for design purposes. research and discussion, and two field surveys of rest area Several states reported realistic results using the factors users were conducted. The surveys not only involved inter­ developed by the state of Oregon as compared with results viewing roadside rest area users, but they also included the of all follow-up surveys. This is the only specific design collection and compilation of data on such items as: procedure mentioned with any degree of regularity. 1. the percentage of highway traffic diverting to the rest area during each hour of the survey period; Site Size and Selection Criteria 2. the number of vehicles diverting to the rest area during each hour of the survey period; Site 3. average duration of visit by category of those vehicles diverting to the rest area during each hour of the entire Although the size of rest area sites inspected varied from 3 24-hour test period; to more than 80 acres, the majority fell into the 20- to 30- 4. hourly percentage breakdown by category of those vehi­ acre range. Most states dedicate rather spacious sites and cles diverting to the rest area during each hour of the entire devote considerable effort in designing and maintaining the 24-hour test period; landscaping. Large varieties of trees and other plantings are 5. user responses to questions posed on the rest area carefully placed. In most instances it is obvious that the states interview form; are trying to make their rest areas "show places" in an effort 6. additional comments and suggestions of rest area users; to create a favorable impression on the traveling public.
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