New York State Thruway(NYST)

[Big Bad Wulff]

This out-dated form of transportation is killing the state!
Here's my thoughts as to why.
We recently made a trip from Tennessee up thru Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Mass, Conn, Pa, Md, WVa, Va, and back into Tn.
I was amazed at how badly the NYST is KILLING the local economy in upstate NY.
In order to get gas you either go to the thruway rest stops which have a gas station and a restuarant of some type or you get off the thruway, pay your toll and TRY to find a gas station/food and get back on the thruway and getting a new toll card. The gas is expensive at the rest stops and trying to get food is a pain in the butt. Here's what we did.
I stopped at the rest stop get gas and wound up getting only a half-tank because I knew it would be cheaper down the road(and it was). We went to try to get food but a tour bus or 3 was there and the back up for food was at least a 20 minute wait. So we spent about $70.00 in fuel(diesel....we have a 43-gallon tank). The fuel was about $3.30(where it is $2.55 here in Tn). We didn't get food nor anything else. Where you see a little "cottage industry" at exits off Interstates everywhere else in the U.S., there is NOTHING at exits off the NYST!

Later in the trip we stopped at an exit off I-40 in Tn and got:
-$100 in fuel
-$20 in food because a Subway was close by.
-$21 for a power cord for a GPS unit at a Radio Shack(next to the Subway)
-$15 for 3 DVDs at a store next to the Radio Shack.
-never waited in line for anything.

So New York got $70 in fuel and $15 for tolls.
Tn got $156 in fuel, food and goods.

New York had to pay for state employees at the toll booth and service stop out of the $15 and whatever the tax was on the fuel.

I'd bet Tennessee is doing a lot better on the $$ generated at one exit than New York did on one service 'island'. I bet the locals in Tn are much better off with the $$ I left there vs. the $$ I left in NewYork.

The New York State Thruway is KILLING the local economy in upstate New York. And it's been this way for what......40 years or more now?
I will NEVER travel via the New York State Thruway ever again! All the other states will probably see me some time again, however.

Can you imagine the construction business alone that would be generated from the building at exits alone and what this would do for the economy up there? Gas stations, eateries, Motels, service businesses, Best Buy and other bsuinesses(who love to put stores at Interstate exits).
I don't know why you guys put up with this.