McDonnell writes Kaine on ideas to reopen rest stops

Bob McDonnell, the Republican nominee for governor, today wrote to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, advocating his ideas on how to reopen the state’s 18 closed rest stops.

Kaine has said his administration is working with Virginia’s congressional delegation to seek a waiver against the rule that bars commercial entities from operating at rest stops. Kaine says that even snack bars or coffee shops might bring in enough revenue to keep the rest areas open.

McDonnell first proposed the steps on July 20, saying he would reopen the rest areas within 90 days of being inaugurated as governor. Later that day, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee, said he would reopen the rest stops within 60 days of being inaugurated.

McDonnell suggests an “Adopt a Rest Stop” program, a public-private partnership, modeled on the “Adopt a Highway” program.

Virginia corporations and businesses would work with the state to help keep the rest areas open “through voluntary cooperation.“

McDonnell said he also thinks the state should consider using nonviolent offenders who have been sentenced to community service or who are eligible for work release, to perform maintenance and landscaping at the rest stops.

McDonnell also urged Kaine to ask the Commonwealth Transportation Board to identify and allocate the funding necessary to reopen the rest stops. McDonnell said that while the costs to operate the closed rest areas are an estimated $9 million, he thinks a “limited reopening” could be done less expensively.