Virginia to pay $3 million to reopen rest areas

[Blue_Tires]

RICHMOND

New Gov. Bob McDonnell got an early win Wednesday when state transportation officials reversed last year's widely criticized decision to close 19 rest stops throughout Virginia, enabling him to fulfill a campaign pledge to reopen them within 90 days of taking office.

The facilities - 18 highway rest stops and one welcome center - are to reopen in phases between mid-February and mid-April.

The state will use $3 million from an emergency reserve fund to pay for rest area operations for the remaining 5 1/2 months of the current fiscal year.

Officials estimate it could cost as much as $7.5 million to operate them next year. To reduce that expense, McDonnell said his administration is exploring using nonviolent inmates as workers, encouraging companies to adopt rest areas, and revising contracts with rest- stop vendors.

Last year's closure was intended to save $9 million as part of a larger budget-slashing strategy in response to the economic downturn.

McDonnell said reopening the roadside sites is a priority because they remain a central concern of residents and closing them could hamper economic development efforts.

"For travelers that come to Virginia that see tape across the entrance to the rest stop and a big 'Closed' sign, it's a bigger sign that Virginia is closed for business. It's exactly the opposite signal" McDonnell said he wants to send.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/virginia-pay-3-million-reopen-rest-areas

[FSogol]

1. Since McDonnell is incapable of doing what is needed to increase VA's revenue, his actions

will do little more than increase Virginia's debt. It will be nice to have them all reopened.

[damyank913]

2. It won't increase the debt because he'll simply

cut less important things-like education. He's got a problem with the whole evolution thing anyway. Wait until that fanatic starts really cutting-it will all be in concert with his religious agenda-then those idiots that decided that it was too much trouble to vote will be the 1st to scream.

[Blue_Tires]

3. very true

[libreb]

4. Priorities

I love Bob's priorities, opening rest stops, millions trying to lure Hollywood and tourists here while cutting food stamp programs, cutting back government jobs (in corrections so who is going to be watching those inmates) and short funding the state worker retirement fund. GOP's rising star's solutions for a $4 billion budget! What a character to respond to Obama's State of the Union.

[Blue_Tires]

5. welcome to the site!