NYS Thruway service areas receive criticism from travelers, state leaders

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — It's been just over two years since plans were announced to modernize the New York State Thruway Authority's rest stop stations. However, not everyone is excited about the new facilities.

Construction is done at the Clifton Springs Travel Plaza, but some are saying both this location and others still need some work.

The 27 service area project is more than a third complete, with 10 stations being rebuilt across the thruway. The $450 million investment is meant to better the quality of food service and amenities for travelers, which travelers like Maria Jacobi say it has accomplished.

"This is the rest stop that we love to stop. My sister lives in Boston, so we make this trip all the time," she says, "and this is awesome."

However, not everyone agrees. These service areas have already gotten their fair share of criticism. Josh Dieter was traveling to Cortland from Rochester, and he was most concerned about the time it takes to get in and out of the service station.

"Very crowded, understaffed. I went to Starbucks to get a drink, and it was going to be 20 minutes for a frozen drink. I was like, I don’t have that much time to wait, you know," says Josh.

New York State Assemblyman Harry Bronson is hearing complaints from customers too. He says there's room for improvement at these rest stops.

He says, "Being a person in the restaurant business for two decades. There are a couple of concepts about your eateries. Some are fast food. You want people in, you want them out, in, out, in, out... But the problem is they don’t have adequate facilities to do that."

The New York State Thruway Authority says they've required no two consecutive service areas to be closed in the same direction to continue convenience for travelers. Construction on all 27 service stations is set to be completed in 2025. You can track the progress here.

We received a statement from Applegreen, the developer of the program, in response to complaints.

"Applegreen is currently working on a $450 million program to modernize the 27 travel plazas on the New York State Thruway.  The project will have a hugely positive impact on the traveler experience at the service areas, providing improved food and beverage choices, with great brands served in pleasant, modern surroundings. The upgrades will also bring new amenities, such as outdoor pet walking areas, EV charging stations, nursing stations, Taste of NY, and farmers’ markets. 

Working closely in partnership with the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), Applegreen is redeveloping the plazas on a phased basis to minimize the impact on travelers. No two consecutive service areas will be closed simultaneously and gas will continue to be available at all service areas during construction. 

Several of the earliest re-openings featured the smallest design size, which doesn’t provide an accurate representation of the overall scale of the modernization that is underway, in terms of the size of areas available. The next phase of reopenings will feature some of the largest service areas on the Thruway.

As with all major upgrade projects that take place in a live customer environment, there may occasionally be some pinch points during the modernization process. Several service areas are currently closed for construction, and Applegreen is working to minimize any potential pinch points in those areas which are open. 

We are working closely with our local teams to ensure appropriate staffing levels, and we have implemented several measures, such as adding additional outdoor seating, to optimize service efficiency and minimize any wait times."