From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Tuesday, October 13th 2009 at 9:44

VISITING AN ENDANGERED REST STOP

After hearing the Arizona Department of Transportation plans to close 13 of its 18 rest stops beginning next week to save the state some money, I decided to pay a visit to one of the popular sites on the chopping block.

The Sacaton rest stop is a bit north of Casa Grande and is your last official rest stop before heading into Phoenix from Tucson (or the first after Phoenix heading toward Tucson).

I arrived there on a Saturday afternoon, following some business I had to take care of in Phoenix. The stop, on the eastbound side of Interstate-10, was quite busy in the late afternoon. I’d say there were more than 20 people there during my visit. There was a couple enjoying a smoking break and some relaxation by their motorcycles, families stretching their legs and using the facilities and even some truckers resting up from a long haul.

The place also has a bit of commerce. Native Americans sit by quietly displaying jewelry they’re selling and vending machines sit in the shade waiting to be fed money, in exchange for a snack for the weary traveler. The place also has a number of picnic tables and an area to walk your canine companions.

The rest stop also now serves as a political rallying site, with hand-made signs and people handing out cards to call the governor’s office to save the rest stops from closing.

An ADOT flier calls the closures “temporary suspensions,” saying they “will allow the department to reallocate funds to ensure the safety of the traveling public by focusing on roadways first."

At the same time, the flier also states that the status of the rest stops will be assessed by the end of June, which closes out the current fiscal year (which still has no complete spending plan).

While ADOT says it going ahead with the closures, there are more than a dozen rest stops that are privately-owned or privately-operated and they will remain open.

For the complete list of rest stops slated for closure, view the flier.