Free coffee signs return to state highway rest areas
Apr 13, 2015, 10:08 PM | Updated: Apr 14, 2015, 5:53 pm
The signs have returned to alert drivers there's free coffee at rest stops along our state's highways. (WSDOT photo)
(WSDOT photo)
The signs have returned to alert drivers there’s free coffee at rest stops along our state’s highways.
Free coffee signs were removed in 2012 because it was determined that it wasn’t safe for volunteers to flip them over, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
“Our own workers aren’t allowed alongside roadways without proper safety gear and spotters, and we couldn’t ask or allow volunteers to take similar risks,” said the WSDOT blog.
Thirty-five signs were removed three years ago.
While it may not seem like a big deal, some local charities said they would come up short in Snohomish County last summer.
“Frequently, we’ve made between $1,700 and $2,000 on the weekend, and we’re nowhere near that,” said Barbara Haldi, with the B.R. chapter of P.E.O., a women’s charity that raises money for education. “That will mean fewer scholarships for us to give. It’s point-blank. Money in, money out. That directly affects our recipients.”
“If the sign’s not on, I usually don’t stop at all,” one truck driver told KIRO Radio. “The sign, for me, was always very helpful.”
The state was letting charities provide coffee at rest areas for several decades. It did consider using lighted signs at all of them, but decided it was too expensive.
The state said the lighted sign at the Smokey Point rest area, which was part of a pilot program, cost about $6,000.
The challenge was to find signs that didn’t require volunteers to manually open and close them while making it clear to drivers that not all sites were being operated, according to WSDOT.
The solution?
New, static “Free Coffee, Volunteer Program” signs. These signs were installed at 13 of the most popular free coffee rest areas and don’t need to be opened or closed manually, according to WSDOT.
“Adding ‘Volunteer Program’ also indicates this is not a state-run or fully-staffed venture,” according to WSDOT.
Coffee remains at the other rest areas, but some aren’t staffed regularly enough to warrant a sign.
“We hope this compromise gives us the best of both worlds, the return of the signs and safe, happy volunteers,” WSDOT said.
