WASHINGTON - U.S. Reps. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) are planning to offer an amendment to a transportation bill, the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7), that will allow for the commercialization of rest areas.

NACS does not believe that rest area commercialization is a viable solution to state budget deficits and is a member of a coalition dedicated to fighting this effort, Partnership to Save Highway Communities.

The amendment seeks to overturn the 50-year-old law prohibiting the sale of food, fuel and convenience items at interstate rest areas and instead allow states to use rest areas on interstate highways for non-highway uses, including commercial activities.

A 2011 Virginia Tech Office of Economy Development study found that allowing for the commercialization of rest areas nationwide would place convenience stores, truck stops, restaurants and other commercial services at a competitive disadvantage. The study noted that if the existing non-commercial rest areas in 611 counties were commercialized, it would result in losses of more than $55 billion in annual sales for commercial interchange businesses nationwide. Researchers also predicted a 46% decrease in Interstate-serving convenience store sales in each county, as well as an estimated $38.2 million in lost annual sales and resulting tax revenue from Interstate-serving convenience stores.

Let your members of Congress know that the convenience and fuel retailing industry is against rest area commercialization ?" take action today.

Read more on rest area commercialization and the potential impact on convenience stores in NACS Magazine.