Spatial distribution and the facility evaluation of the service and rest areas in the toll motorway network of the European Union

Among safety countermeasures for roads, service and rest areas play a vital role, providing a place to stop or rest during a journey and offering services such as petrol stations. Due to their importance, they must be logically distributed along routes at convenient locations with respect to travel itineraries and must be conveniently equipped. These needs become even more apparent on motorways that charge a toll to use the road, because drivers tend avoid leaving the motorway until they have reached their planned destination or departure point. The objective of this paper is to explore the spatial distribution of the service and rest areas on the toll motorways (or freeways) in the European Union (EU) and their facilities. Additionally, the distance and facility specifications established by the regulations of each country were compared. The EU was selected for this evaluation because of the virtual inexistency of borders and the substantial international traffic volumes that result from this relatively free flow of traffic between countries. Countries with a toll road network over 100 km were included: Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Poland, Greece, and the Slovak Republic. Analysis of average and maximum distances between areas and the facilities provided showed a great variability due to different distribution policies. Few regulations exist that establish maximum distances between areas. Standardization of the spatial distribution of these facilities, on both free and tolled roadways, in the EU would benefit drivers, especially on long journeys, creating a consistent and predictable network of areas and services.