Governor, supervisors seek rest area help

Coffee-chugging tourists can take heart: There appears to be no ... well ... rest in the fight to keep open nearly half of Virginia’s rest areas.

State Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer sent a letter Thursday to the Old Dominion’s congressional delegation, seeking federal help to allow businesses to operate at interstate rest stops.
Prince William’s Board of County Supervisors likewise sent a letter to the congressmen and senators who represent the locality in Washington.

And Gov. Timothy M. Kaine sent a letter to Rep. John W. Olver, who chairs the House Appropriations Transportation subcommittee.

Nineteen of 42 highway rest stops — including those on Interstate 95 in Dale City and Interstate 66 in Manassas — are slated to close to save $9 million toward a $2.6 billion transportation budget shortfall.

All but one would be shuttered Tuesday, forcing full-bladdered motorists to exit the highways for relief.

However, Homer wrote, if federal law prohibiting business activity at Virginia rest areas was changed, that commerce could be a saving grace.

“I believe that with some creativity, Congress can allow Virginia to consider what several other states already do: house commercial activities such as the sale of food and beverages,” wrote the secretary, who formerly worked in Prince William’s government. “Permitting Virginia [to] commercialize rest areas would remedy an inconsistency among our state and a number of others and would allow at least some additional public rest areas to remain open.”

With no businesses operating at rest areas, Virginia spends about $21 million annually on the highway service.

Some states have a private-sector presence at their stops because that use was grandfathered when the federal prohibition took effect.

On the other hand, Virginia’s inability to house similar operations has “helped ensure our state’s rest areas will soon be left idle,” Kaine wrote to Olver, a Massachusetts Democrat.

For example, the governor wrote, “Unlike our neighboring state of Maryland, Virginia is among those states unable to entertain commercial enterprise at our rest areas.”

In addition, Prince William supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart wrote that the county is worried about safety at the rest areas that will be closed but not demolished.

“The Board is very concerned that the former rest areas will become havens for illicit activities and the buildings will become decrepit,” Stewart wrote.

Thursday’s letters followed similar correspondence from Del. Robert G. “Bob” Marshall earlier this week.

Marshall, a western Prince William Republican, sent a letter to Rep. Frank R. Wolf and U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner seeking respite from the federal rest-area law.

Wolf, who represents western Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park, intends to pursue the issue.

The Republican last week implored Kaine to keep open the 19 rest areas slated for closure.

Staff writer Jonathan Hunley can be reached at 703-369-5738.