Thruway rest areas continue drawing frustration amid busy travel season

Just over two years since the New York State Thruway Authority announced plans to modernize their rest stop stations, the process has been met with varying reactions. Although ten of the projected 27 service areas have been rebuilt, fulfilling more than a third of the $450 million project, some users claim that these new facilities still require significant improvements.

Travelers have expressed satisfaction with the upgrades, praising the enhanced quality of food services and amenities at stations like the recently completed Clifton Springs Travel Plaza. Conversely, others have criticized the stations for their lack of efficiency, citing long wait times and understaffing issues as primary concerns.

The larger ones have been mostly popular. However, the smaller ones, like Junius Ponds, have been a point of frustration for travelers. The Thruway Authority has argued that once all of them are finished traffic to each will normalize.

To minimize inconvenience for travelers during this period of construction, the Thruway Authority has implemented a rule that no two consecutive service areas can be closed in the same direction. With 17 more rest stops yet to be refurbished, the modernization project is expected to reach completion by 2025.