Road trips — be they to college or summer rites of passage, great family bonding experiences or simply traveling to make a living — are alive and well, surviving good times and bad. Perhaps it is our inherent fascination with driving, our love of adventure, or maybe just the solitude driving offers in a hectic life; but one thing is certain: Hitting the open road is as much an American pastime as baseball or apple pie.
And once on the road, we’re likely to stop for breaks, often at state-operated welcome or visitors’ centers or rest areas. Over the years, these facilities have come to be viewed as safe havens — clean, inviting places to take a break, grab a snack or a quick nap, use the restroom, or just stretch your legs. No matter how early in the morning or late at night you arrived, welcome centers and rest areas provided an oasis of security and comfort as you rolled across the land.
Like our interstate highway system itself, though, welcome centers and rest areas have begun to show their age.
Recently, the State Transportation Board’s Gateways Committee reviewed the condition of Georgia’s 25 welcome centers and rest areas, which are visited by more than 12 million people every year. Our initial study prompted an in-depth analysis of the overall condition of these properties. That full report, in turn, highlighted a number of inadequacies. As a result, we decided to look at options for improving the properties and the image Georgia presents to those using our transportation system.
Freshly focused, Gateways Committee members zeroed in on utilizing the $3.6 million in annual revenue produced from the Georgia Logos program, which sells promotional sponsorships to retailers on signage along the interstate. Traditionally, these funds have been accumulated and earmarked for projects classified as roadside beautification, so the potential to use them for welcome center improvements and updates is a cohesive fit.
Once the funding source was determined, the real work started: what to do at these aging facilities; how many to do at a time; and, getting support and buy-in from our partners.
The concept, presented to and approved by the full board, is to begin with refreshing Georgia’s welcome centers — the first thing most visitors encounter upon entering the state, often forming their first impression of Georgia. Once the welcome centers are upgraded to current standards, work can begin on the rest areas throughout our highway system.
Working with the governor’s office and the Department of Economic Development, a phased approach was identified to help maintain project status with available budget collections. Currently, a full assessment of each welcome center is under way to help us address the most needed rehabs, and to prioritize those updates as funds are available.
Providing an inviting place to stop along your travels, rest for a moment, use the facilities and pick up information is what will give every visitor a great first impression and bring the “Welcome” back to Georgia’s Welcome Centers.
Sam Wellborn is a State Transportation Board member representing Congressional District 3.
