Rest stop to rest shop.

Byline: Sherri Buri McDonald The Register-Guard

For decades, they've offered the basic necessities to road-weary travelers: a place to get out of the car and stretch, use the restroom or a pay phone, and - in the days before fast food - break out the picnic basket for a bite to eat.

But upkeep of Oregon's 46 aging rest areas costs a bundle. The state spends about $3.5 million a year to clean and maintain them, plus $1 million a year on upgrades.

It's no wonder, then, that Oregon is among a number of states hoping to turn to the private sector to share in some of those responsibilities.

If private partners step forward, rest areas throughout the country could become more convenient and offer a wider array of services. In just one stop, travelers could fuel up, use the restroom, buy a latte or a meal, check on road conditions and find out about local attractions from someone at a visitor's information center.

Lane County is at the forefront of this trend in Oregon. By the end of the year, the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon hopes to identify a partner for a "travel plaza" off Interstate 5 that could offer commercial services and information for visitors.

"We're ... focusing in on potential private partnerships and talking with landholders and developers at all the interchanges in Lane County," said Kari Westlund, CVALCO president.

"We love the idea of being I-5 adjacent for the number of travelers we could accommodate, and for letting people who think they're through-travelers know what they may be missing," she said.

Russ Wood, a trucker for Carson Helicopter, based in Grants Pass, said he'd like the convenience of having commercial services at Oregon's rest stops.

On Thursday he adjusted his truck's brakes at Oak Grove, which was the U.S. Interstate system's first rest area, opening north of Eugene in 1962.

"I know they've got a lot of places back east where you can just pull off and fuel up," Wood said. "That would be a real time-saver."

He said he'd also like to be able to get the latest information about road conditions at highway rest stops.

But not all motorists support privatization of these areas.

"I have mixed feelings," said Rob Bowling, a 49-year-old Bandon resident who recently pulled over at Oak Grove on a trip to Portland.

"I like these being sort of not commercial, with these cute picnic tables that you never see anybody using," he said, gesturing to a dozen of them scattered among the lawn and trees.

"It's a traveler-specific area," Bowling said. "We're all in travel mode. I think there's a touch of camaraderie to it.

"It you wanted those (other) amenities, wouldn't you get off on an exit ramp?" he asked. "This isn't the middle of Montana. There are lots of exits with gas stations and convenience stores."

Arlen Pounds, 56, another traveler who recently stopped at Oak Grove to walk his dogs, Coco and Ginger, said he generally supports privatization.

"On the other hand," he said, "I like being able to stop without feeling I have to buy something, out of fairness to the merchant."

CVALCO could operate a travel information center at an existing public rest stop such as Oak Grove - and that hasn't been ruled out, Westlund said. But siting the travel plaza on private land would open up a range of possibilities, she said.

"If we go with a public rest area, it will be quite restrictive in the type of services we can provide" - even the sale of coffee, guidebooks or maps, she said.

There's a reason why public rest areas more closely resemble day-use parks than commercial highway stops.

When Congress created the Interstate Highway System in 1956, communities were concerned that motorists would zoom past their towns. Congress responded by prohibiting development on the interstate rights of way. Only a few routes were exempt, such as the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio turnpikes, which were built before Jan. 1, 1960, and were later converted to interstate routes.

At most of the nation's rest areas, the only food and drink available are vending machine snacks and "free" coffee and cookies. In Oregon, state law allows volunteer organizations to give away coffee, nonalcoholic beverages and cookies and accept donations, said Karen Morrison, maintenance services coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation. State law also identifies the Commission for the Blind as the entity to operate vending machines on public property.

Over the years, tension has been mounting between state governments that want to defray costs by offering some retail services at public rest stops, and private businesses at highway interchanges that say that would put them out of business.

In October, Congress cracked open the door to privatization, allowing states to collaborate with the private sector on interstate "Oasis" areas. Oases would offer around-the-clock access to restrooms, parking for cars and heavy trucks, and at a minimum, public phones, food, and fuel, oil and water for vehicles.

"We're very excited about this program and promoting it," said Linda Van Arsdale, spokeswoman for The National Association of Truck Stop Operators in Alexandria, Va. "We think it gives states a good alternative to closing their rest areas and also provides a service to motorists."

It's unclear whether the travel plaza in Lane County will seek Oasis designation.

In a separate project south of Roseburg, the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians plans to break ground on a rest area/visitors center this year near its Seven Feathers RV Resort in Canyonville.

It will have parking, bathrooms, a travel information kiosk and eventually a staffed travel information center, said Tonya Theiss-Skrip, the Cow Creek's special projects officer.

When the rest area is completed, the state Department of Transportation plans to permanently close the two closest rest areas: Cow Creek and South Umpqua, said Luci Moore, the department's state maintenance and operations engineer.

The state will keep those properties in case rest areas need to be set up there in the future, she said, adding that the state has no current plans to close any other rest areas.