DAVENPORT-- You've been here, driving down the interstate and you see a sign for a rest stop and turn in. Five years ago, the Iowa Department of Transportation started a program to bring money to it's rest stops, but now it's being eliminated completely.
The state offered up it's rest stops as advertisement space for businesses. It asked for a three-year contract at $25,000 a year. That money would pay to maintain the rest stops that don't bring in their own revenue.
But after five years, out of the 40 rest areas throughout the state, only five got any sort of sponsor interest at all. So the state's canceling the program all together.
"It's kind of disappointing no one would want to," says Iowa driver Reid Craney.
IDOT speculates the cost may have held companies back. It wasn't attractive enough to big companies and too expensive for small businesses. Drivers agree.
"It's a money factor. Maybe lower the amount. Maybe have it $10,000. That would make more companies want to do it," says driver Marie Miskovich.
"Three years is quite an investment for some company to not know if they'll get anything back with this. One year, maybe. But three years is quite a lot," says Craney.
It's feedback the state will consider as it looks to take the plan in a new direction.
It costs the state $3M per year to maintain all 40 of it's rest stops.