Pennsylvania has closed all 35 of its highway rest stops to all activity following the declaration of a state of emergency.
A spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Transportation said the closure impacts not only the limited facilities at the rest stops, like bathrooms and vending machines. It also shuts down parking access as well.
“We are reevaluating,” spokeswoman Alexis Campbell told FreightWaves in a text message. “However, we must also consider the ability of our contract cleaners to provide staffing adequate to maintain clean, safe and sanitary facilities while limiting the exposure risk to staff and public.”
The rest stops in Pennsylvania have limited facilities but also have one highly attractive feature – they are free and legal to park. As a truck driver noted in a Facebook truckers group, the alternative will now be the shoulders of the highway. (Though truckers pulling goods that exempt them from the current Hours of Service rule may be able to spend some more time searching for better parking than a shoulder.)
The closures took pace at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The state, in its announcement, noted that there already had been closures in place in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties, all of them in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Ohio, where there also is a state of emergency in place, a spokeswoman for that state’s DOT said there are no restrictions in place at its rest stops.
Faith
Y would you do this when we have so many truckers out there on the roads trying to make sure supply demands are met ?!?!?!
Karen
Definitely a dangerous closing… and insane..where is his staff to stop this….and liquor stores??? Why???
Power??
MELISSA BRITTAIN
This is just stupid, Leave it open for truck drivers at least to park in a safe place. Put portable toilets outside for them if need but don’t make the roads more unsafe than they already are by forcing drivers to keep going when they are tired or have to pull over on the side of the road as this is not always an option due to the size of the roads. Use your brain and stop panicking you are just making the problem worse. Not everything we are shipping is high demand but it is still needed. Our Drivers are going to be one of the reasons we will keep going and by forcing them to drive while tired to find a safe place to park for a nap is just asking for more trouble. Way to go PA you just set the standards on how to kill a nation even more. People wake up stop and think before you kill us all and not the virus you are scared of.
Lee J McKenzie
Only when there is no Amazon, no food, no clothing, no options for people’s comfort will truck drivers get the long overdue respect they deserve for the sacrifices they go through everyday, in a little while things will get nasty, people will really panic and the truck driver?…….. well, we will just roll on as always. Hardened by his /her years of disrespect and neglect, we will carry the nation back.
God bless each and every one
Del D LaBree
I have read a lot of post you did a great job on this one thank you.
Tom Jefferson
God bless the truck drivers of this great nation.
Dean Momeyer
This is insane! How do our elected officials expect essential commodities to be transported within our state.
Stephen Webster
Truck drivers need more places to wash their hands and parking. Proper plan for truck drivers is lacking.
Bob harmsy
This is crazy…but it points to the fact that those cleaning facilities lack training the necessary education and training to present safe clean restrooms to protect their own health as well as the health of those to whom that labor is directed…be safe drivers
J W McClain
A misguided thought that can be a catalyst for disaster! No knee jerk reaction can be a good idea in the area of public safety! I’m a professional driver for more than 35 years and closing of safe zones for the motoring public has always been a bad idea! We need more safe areas instead of closing the few of them we have!
Bob harmsy
This is crazy…but it points to the fact that those cleaning facilities lack training the necessary education and training to present safe clean restrooms to protect their own health as well as the health of those to whom that labor is directed…be safe drivers
Dianne N Frank Roy
So when your driving the length of the state to go home where do you go to the bathroom? At least open every other one for people to use!
Jeanne
Exactly! I drove the entire length of the state yesterday to pick my son up from college, so this was a 12 hour round trip. Not one bathroom open. If you’re on I80 the shoulders are narrow, not so great to pullover and go on the side of the road. Which I seriously considered, especially after having coffee and no bathroom for 6 hours until I reached my sons dorm. Not to mention I80 is heavily traveled by trucks and they were forced to rest on these narrow shoulders. I was disgusted that the state would jeopardize their lives like that. At least open the parking lots for the truck drivers. Whoever makes these decisions needs to consider the chain reaction of disasters they’re creating!!
Dirk mims
No where for trucks to park .
Maybe we need to go home