BUFFALO, N.Y. — For some, taking roadtrips is a great way to kick off the summer.

“Traveling to Connecticut to visit my brother but I’ve been a New York state resident since, oh, 1976,” said traveler Karen Savoca. 

What You Need To Know

  • 26 out of 27 NYS Thruway rest stops have been remodeled, with one left in Modena

  • The redevelopment is part of a $450 million project with Empire State Thruway Partners which began in the summer of 2021

  • Some travelers are not happy with the new rest stops appearance, bathrooms or available food options

All 27 service areas in New York State were being redeveloped as part of a $450 million project with Empire State Thruway Partners. The redevelopment began in the summer of 2021.

“We've taken a multi-step process to modernizing the Thruway in the last five years. Again, all is to develop and provide a safe, reliable, and affordable trip on the Thruway,” said Frank Hoare, executive director for the New York State Thruway Authority. 

Five years later, only one remains to be completed in Modena.

“Our construction season just started in April. And as people travel on the Thruway, they're going to see lots of work out there,” Hoare said. “I think the vast majority of people are happy that we undertook this renovation. And we hear largely, good things about, about the trip.”

But, that’s not necessarily the way everyone feels who travels these roads.

“I feel terrible, complaining about it because I know it...it took a lot of planning and all that, but I think they're really cramped. And I think the design is really pretty awful. And everybody I know is saying the same thing,” said Savoca.

Some of the main complaints from travelers since the new stops opened are the lack of space, the availability of food options, and the long lines at bathrooms.

“Particularly walking in and the way the fast food areas are and when they're cordoned off, it's even worse when it's busy and the bathrooms, they're just terrible,” Savoca said. 

The New York State Thruway Authority says the new stops are an upgrade from what existed before.

“They have more food amenities and food choices. The service areas themselves, the buildings are much more open and well lighted,” Hoare said.

But as construction on the last rest stop reaches completion, not all travelers agree.

“I think the old ones were really lovely,” Savoca said. “I think we could have done better.”