The Illinois Department of Transportation is asking for the public’s help in developing a plan that will determine the best use of the state’s rest areas. An online survey can be taken through Sunday, Oct. 29. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/illinoisrestarea.
“Many of our rest areas have reached a point where it’s time to evaluate their future,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. “The feedback this survey provides us will be incredibly valuable. We hope as many people as possible participate so our rest areas can better reflect the changing needs of today’s travellers.”
The 20-question survey seeks feedback on how travellers currently use Illinois rest areas, their level of satisfaction with the rest areas they visit, the location of the rest areas and how important certain features are to them, including truck parking.
Federal DOT surveys ranked Illinois among the top 10 states with truck parking shortages. However, Illinois reports 11.1 public spaces per 100,000 daily truck vehicle miles traveled, which ranks the state near the middle nationally.
IDOT maintains a system of 30 rest areas and 11 welcome centres on highways throughout the state, serving more than 36 million visitors annually. They are open 24 hours a day and feature restroom facilities, picnic areas, lighted walkways, maps, security cameras, and parking for recreational vehicles and commercial trucks, among other services.
Paper copies of the online survey are available at select rest areas throughout the state. They also can be mailed upon request by calling (402) 399-1405.
