After driving to Florida and back last month I have to say Ohio

[doc03]

is a disgrace. Every state WV, VA, NC, SC, GA and FL have beautiful welcome centers on the Interstates. What is the welcome to Ohio on Interstate 70, roads in disrepair with potholes that could swallow a small car and a few filthy out of date roadside rests. What a depressing state this has become the last few years.

[Bay Boy]

1. I've found the Ohio state troopers

are always willing to greet out of state people near the border. In fact I've seen them pull over several carsfull of them at the same time and greet them.
And they almost always give them a souvenir of this meeting.

[doc03]

2. That's our welcome wagon, in Florida you get free samples of orange

and grapefruit juice in Ohio you get a ticket, a flat tire or a broken tie rod..

[Kolesar]

14. Suits me

Keep the insurance rates down

[TheBlackAdder]

3. Ohio just sucks to drive through. I've never had a desire to stop.

I've got friends and family who frequent there and it's just one wreck of a state.

[doc03]

4. I did see worse a couple years ago, I drove to Dearborn Michigan

I have to say I never saw roads with so many potholes in my life between Toledo and Dearborn..

[safeinOhio]

5. After moving to Ohio a few years ago,

The one thing I love about Ohio is few if any dirt roads. I use to have to drive a mile to get to pavement and I only lived a few mile north of the boarder.

[doc03]

6. Come on over to Appalachia Ohio there are plenty of dirt roads here. Since that

ahole Kasich cut 50% of our state funds the paved ones are turning to dirt. Kasich even wants to close our filthy out of date rest stops, he says that is what McDonalds is for.

[Little Star]

7. I agree but you have to also take into consideration that WV, VA, NC, SC, GA and FL

may have better roads than most northern states, due to our weather which wrecks havoc on our roads. That was the only part of the OP that I questioned.

Does Massachusetts (where I live) even have a welcome center? If so, where, cause I've never seen one. Can't recall seeing any along I95 in CT or RI for that matter. Once I hit, I think it's Delaware, then I see welcome centers all the way to FL.

Ohio ain't alone in that aspect I think? Or maybe I'm just blind, lol.

[AngryOldDem]

12. I've heard that the roads aren't well constructed to begin with, so they deteriorate faster.

That, plus Ohio sees a high rate of semi traffic, which also damages roads. Just drive I-75 around Dayton to see how bad interstate roads can be.

[liberal N proud]

8. The guv wants to sell the rest areas so a corporation can make a profit on them

Some how he thinks they could turn them into plazas of commerce where it will cost you to use a filthy restroom.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. I was visiting friends in Ohio last year.

One day I drove from Cleveland to Kent via the interstate. It was smooth sailing, perfectly beautiful, and through lovely countryside.

[NEOBuckeye]

10. Soon to be fracked countryside

One more reason why this state is in bad shape.

[AngryOldDem]

13. That is a pretty part of the state, especially taking the back roads. n/t

[AngryOldDem]

11. Former Ohioan here, just checking out the forum...

And I agree -- the roadside rests in Ohio have always sucked. For a comparison, drive to just outside Richmond, Indiana. The rest stops in Indiana are vacation resorts compared to Ohio. I'm not sure, but I think the decrepit rest stops are one of the last vestiges of the James Rhodes administration, that did not see fit to upgrade them. Now, there's probably just not the money for it.

And Ohio roads have always sucked.

Ohio is an example of why infrastructure needs to be a priority in this country.