Residents Claim Connecticut Service Plazas Cause Prostitution and Pollution

What does it mean to be a good neighbor? It's a question on the minds of many Connecticut residents as they see that the State of Connecticut is definitely not a good neighbor and has not taken steps to become one.

Imagine having a highway service plaza or rest area in your backyard or within walking distance to your neighborhood.

You probably would want a good buffer between you and it but if you live in Connecticut you know that it's easier said than done.

A recent public hearing hosted by members of the Connecticut Statewide Rest Area and Service Plaza Study Team led to the discovery that many residents are skeptical when the state talks the talk when they haven't walked the walk.

You can read citizen comments and responses by team members on a page which gives a matrix based on location of the public hearing. This matrix is available by visiting .

Responses given during the session were based on residents personal experiences and were based on information these residents.

Take Darien for example, home of one of the busiest service plazas in Connecticut.

Why is that you ask? Well, the State of New York has very few rest areas and as soon as motorists cross the border they are instructed that a "Turnpike Service Plaza" with food, gas, and a Connecticut Welcome Center is only 10 miles ahead.

That signage and the congested seen on the section of Interstate 95 in southwestern Connecticut has led the City of Darien to be home to the busiest service plazas in Connecticut and is the busiest in the nation, according to Earth Tech, Inc. with statistics.

While the northbound is much busier, there are many who realize that Darien is the last stop in Connecticut (and last stop for a while until reaching one in NY or NJ) and take a pit stop at the southbound plaza.

The study team concluded that at the Southbound service plaza approximately 4,740 travelers stop here on weekdays and 5,030 stop here on weekends.

For the northbound service plaza, approximately 6,540 travelers stop here on weekdays and 8,060 stop here on weekends.

Both service plazas feature McDonald's and other fast food restaurants such as Sandella's Wraps, ice cream, pizza, and more in a food court setup, Mobil gasoline and diesel, convenience food and snacks (in a small gift shop), several snack and beverage vending machines, cart vendors (which sell sunglasses in the summer), large rest rooms, pay phones, ATM, water fountain, auto parking, truck parking, and traveler information and a staffed welcome center (both northbound only).

Specifically in Darien, residents claim that service plazas attract illegal activity such as drugs and prostitution.

Connecticut State Police have the primary responsibility to keep service plazas safe and while they drive around the plaza and walk through it periodically, they often do not do it enough to fend off these problems.

Illegal activity at several rest areas and service plazas has prompted truckers to be concerned of their safety and security and to use private truck parking facilities such as Travel Centers of America and Pilot.

Study team members stated, "Safety and security includes traffic safety, way-finding, lighting, monitoring for crime and providing access for first responders. State police provide oversight and have a presence at service plazas right now. Safety and security are also issues for governance and operations."

It is uncertain whether police patrols can be increased or whether private security firms could be hired in the future to cut down on illegal activity at places residents specifically cited including Interstate 95 Darien plazas and Interstate 84 West Willington plazas.

Residents also claim service plazas are bad stewards to the environment by allowing trucks to idle all night long affecting air quality since there is no IdleAir technology yet in place.

Members of the study team claim, "Most truck idling occurs when drivers need to heat or cool the cab and there is no other source of energy. It is too early in the planning process to say exactly what type of technology will be installed at future roadside traveler facilities, but the study will recommend that "state-of-the-art" technology be used in the improved facilities. It is an objective of the Department (of Transportation) to reduce or eliminate truck idling, as it is both an air quality and noise issue and currently against the law".

Truck idle reduction technology was proposed by many residents which hopefully will reduce diesel fumes and sound pollution.

They also believe "the recommendations will call for the incorporation of improvements to reduce or eliminate truck idling. The preliminary recommendations call for the consideration of many "green" design elements."

Residents claim service plazas have bad track records regarding clean water and stormwater drainage despite their claims of a cooperation with Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Some residents believe service plazas do not adequately take care of trash and road debris despite the fact that McDonald's is responsible for removing trash in the restaurant and parking lot since they actually own the lease of these state owned buildings.

The Darien Land Trust has suggested a permanent barrier be installed between a 50-acre park and the service plaza claiming that oil spills and trash have consistently affected the park.

The land trust believes that the Selleck Woods is a valuable adjacent community resource that needs to be protected.

Neighbors have requested noise barriers be installed along with protection from pollution.

Members of the study team have said, "Protecting neighbors from noise and air quality concerns are high priorities. It is too early in the planning process to consider actual design elements, such as noise barriers, however the recommendations will note that these types of mitigations measures should be considered if conditions warrant them."

Some residents believe these facilities negatively affect traffic congestion and that land used for a state facility like a rest area does not contribute as much to the local tax base as other development.

Others believe over-the-highway facilities are unslightly, expensive, and could create an echo effect for traffic going through them.

Enforcing laws on where trucks can park is an issue that study team members said is quite difficult for state police to do since truckers are not legally allowed to be on the road more than a set number of hours.

Parking of tractor trailers prove to be hazardous along on and off ramps of highways but police cannot ticket these vehicles since there is a shortage of truck parking and they cannot legally move their vehicle until the next day.

Study team members stated that, "Assuming that all the preliminary recommendations are implemented, a truck parking shortfall of about 700-800 spaces would still exist in 2025, based on the public sector's ability to meet the need."

While some have expressed an interest to charge people to park at rest areas, the law does not allow this but does allow private facilities to have a charge beyond a specific number of hours.

Questions on whether proposed expansions of facilities or new facilities could compete with local questions were also heard.

Study team members responded by stating, "There are opportunities for thinking 'outside the box', formulating public private partnerships, and other types of 'win-win' alternatives. New facilities will be rest areas (non-commercialized) and won't directly compete with local businesses. Welcome Centers will provide visitors with information about the local area and region, including its businesses. This is likely to benefit the local economy."

Other residents are not convinced and believe proposed facilities could compete with local businesses. This was especially conveyed regarding proposed rest areas in Enfield on Interstate 91.

They claim that travelers stop in local towns to use restrooms at shopping centers and then make unanticipated purchases from local shops, dine at local restaurants, and gas up at local gas stations and buy products at adjacent convenience stores.

Proposed rest area facilities (with no food or fuel services) are also slated for Route 8 in Torrington (would include Welcome Center), Interstate 91 in Winsor Locks (new truck parking facility), Interstate 395 in Thompson (would include Welcome Center and is particularly welcomed by the first selectman and town officials in this community), Route 9 in Haddam, Route 2 in Bozrah, and Interstate 95 in Waterford (new truck parking facility).

Plans would call for the complete overhaul of all current rest areas and service plazas including Interstate 95 service plazas in Darien, Fairfield, Milford, Branford, and Madison, Interstate 395 service plazas in Montville and Plainfield, Route 15 service plazas in Greenwich, New Canaan, Fairfield, Orange, and North Haven, Interstate 91 rest areas in Wallingford and Middletown, and Interstate 84 rest areas in Southington and Willington.

Some feel that more public hearings should be held at more locations in Connecticut to allow even more public input.

Study team members stated, "The project scope called for a limited number of public meetings and we tried to locate them throughout the state. The parameters of this study process do not provide for a public information meeting in every town where a preliminary recommendation is proposed. However, the overall planning process is in the very early stages, and there will be future opportunities for meetings in the Enfield area. The preliminary recommendations are corridor and area specific, not property specific."

Keep in mind that service plazas on Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 were designed in the 1950's during the Connecticut Turnpike's construction while those on Route 15, the Merritt Parkway were designed in the late 1930's to 1940's for auto-only services.

Rest areas on Interstate 84 and Interstate 91 were developed during the construction of the highway in the 1950's and 1960's.

In the end, study team members concluded, "It is safe to say that no one wants these facilities in their backyard. This is why the state will have to make difficult decisions about this issue that may not always be locally popular."

In this writer's opinion, that statement just isn't good enough and the state must do more to sell its proposal that is likely to be paid for by taxpayers' money.

This especially holds true for upgrades to rest areas or new rest areas with no food or fuel services.

It is possible that one could lease out service plazas on Interstate 95, Route 15, and Interstate 395 to Mobil who would pay for improvements but only if they thought said improvements would be financially beneficial.

Sources Used:

"Connecticut Statewide Rest Area and Service Plaza Study: Public Information Meetings - Summary of Matrix of Issues & Concerns, Suggestions and Comments." http://www.ctrestareas.org/documents/PublicInfoMeetings-SummaryMatrix091907.pdf. Connecticut Statewide Rest Area and Service Plaza Website.

"Site Evaluation Summaries". "Connecticut Rest Area and Service Plaza Study State Project No. 170-2533: Traffic and Parking Evaluation Summary: Prepared For: Connecticut Department of Transportation: Prepared By: Earth Tech, Inc." June 2006. http://www.ctrestareas.org/documents/CTRestAreaSummary_consolidated.pdf.