A profile of rest area usage patterns and of rest area user attributes is presented based on interviews at 13 rest areas in five states, on a nationwide telephone survey, and on unpublished data furnished by a number of states. These data show that rest area usage, asa function of mainline traffic, varies widely and averages 10.3%. Trucks and recreational vehicles are more likely to enter rest areas than are passenger automobiles. The demographic characteristics of the rest area user population are closely matched to those of the long trip driving population with a slight overrepresentation of older drivers. Toilet use and resting-stretching together account for morethan 80% of all the stated reasons for stopping at rest areas. The average time in a rest area is somewhat longer than 10 minutes, witha pronounced increase in length of stay at lunchtime. Recreational vehicles and trucks generally stay for longer periods. Rest areas, and public financing thereof, have the overwhelming approval of the user population. However, there are some perceived security problems associated with rest area use at night. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1224, Rest areas, wetlands, and hydrology.
Abstract