I stopped at the new rest stop on a mid-week day , early December.  ( I believe it was near Utica, Chittenango maybe) it was not a busy day traffic-wise, and the parking lot was moderately filled but whoever designed this stop to resemble a double sized double wide trailer didn’t have any concerns about how people would be lined up for food and others would be trying to sit at the very tiny Manhattan sized tables to eat.  In this age of transmissible Covid, flu, and RSV, snaking through the people, squeezing past everyone was not ideal.  The entrance to the restrooms for both sexes was a single narrow hallway that required a gentleman coming out to turn sideways as I was coming through to go in.  The very small concession stand at the other end of the “food court” was so tiny and impossible to work in.  (Think old railroad car diner with counter to stand behind.) The summer crowd will make this rest stop impossible to use.  The industrial look (reminds me of a warehouse vibe) replacing the lovely Adirondack sense is not great for upstate.  Gifting the contract to a company that closes on Sundays for the main food concession when many people have to travel on Sundays is unbelievably short-sighted and stupid.  You want a concession stand at our rest stops, you must be open every day morning to night.  A frustrated upstate NYS Thruway traveler. Christine Pesses

I stopped at the new rest stop on a mid-week day , early December.  ( I believe it was near Utica, Chittenango maybe) it was not a busy day traffic-wise, and the parking lot was moderately filled but whoever designed this stop to resemble a double sized double wide trailer didn’t have any concerns about how people would be lined up for food and others would be trying to sit at the very tiny Manhattan sized tables to eat.  In this age of transmissible Covid, flu, and RSV, snaking through the people, squeezing past everyone was not ideal.  The entrance to the restrooms for both sexes was a single narrow hallway that required a gentleman coming out to turn sideways as I was coming through to go in.  The very small concession stand at the other end of the “food court” was so tiny and impossible to work in.  (Think old railroad car diner with counter to stand behind.) The summer crowd will make this rest stop impossible to use.  The industrial look (reminds me of a warehouse vibe) replacing the lovely Adirondack sense is not great for upstate.  Gifting the contract to a company that closes on Sundays for the main food concession when many people have to travel on Sundays is unbelievably short-sighted and stupid.  You want a concession stand at our rest stops, you must be open every day morning to night.  A frustrated upstate NYS Thruway traveler. Christine Pesses

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