SYSTEM AND OVERVIEW OF ROADSIDE STATION Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Basic Concept of Roadside Stations Characteristic, lively space that we create together with local communities Purpose of Roadside Stations To provide users with safe and comfortable road travel conditions To contribute to local economies Functions of Roadside Stations Rest space Rest space 24-hour and free-of-charge f parking and toilets Information source Road traffic information, local tourist information Information source Linkage with local communities Linkage with Services by local rejuvenation local communities facilities 2
Concept Image of a Roadside Station Toilet Facilities that gives road traffic and local information Rest place Local rejuvenation facilities Parking Parking, toilets, guide signs etc. (Guide signs are set and maintained by the road administrator; some parking and toilets t too) Cultural, tourism and recreational facilities and other local rejuvenation facilities, rest place, toilets, parking (developed and maintained by local municipalities) ii * Infrastructure improvement grants etc. are usable. 3
Overview of Roadside Station System Roadside Station System Registration Information <Registration flow> Application by the mayor Registered by Road Bureau, MLIT The road administrator installs wayside guide signs of the roadside station. Information of roadside stations given in the MLIT website and information terminals in roadside stations A roadside station is opened. 4
Background of the Creation of Roadside Stations January 1990: A proposal about creating stations along roads in a symposium of the Chugoku region community creation conference October 1991 A pilot program of road stations using temporal resting -April 1992: facilities by local municipalities in Yamaguchi, Gifu and Tochigi prefectures May 1992: The first roadside stations panel (Chair: Mr. Masaki Koshi, professor of School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo at the time) March 1993: A recommendation on roadside stations by the panel The registration and information system of roadside stations developed by Road Bureau Roadside station application started April 1993: First 103 roadside stations registered 5
Change of the Number of Registered Roadside Stations First 103 roadside stations were registered in 1993, and then the number was increased to 952 in 18 years up to now. 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 917 952 743 551 285 103 155 1993 1994 1996 1999 2003 2009 2010 6
Resting Facilities of Roadside Stations Rest place with information terminals (Hari T.R.S. roadside station, Nara) Footbath with the view of the Sakurajima volcano (Tarumizu roadside station, Kagoshima) Scenic waterfront rest place (Niigata Furusato-Mura roadside station) Riders taking a rest in a group long ride (Kohan-no-Sato Fukutomi roadside station, Hiroshima) 7
Roadside Station as Information Source People can understand overall information on road surface conditions, traffic control etc. at a glance. Large display showing traffic information and much other at-a-glance information Distance to the next toilet, convenience store or roadside station can be displayed (as needed). People can look more detailed traffic and tourist information by simple operation, just as on the Internet at home. Simple and realtime electric display Information terminal giving local tourist information and other detailed information 8
Roadside Station Linked with Local Communities Busy with shoppers of local agricultural products (Munakata roadside station, Fukuoka) Viewing colorful plants in the botanic garden (Nanbo Paradise roadside station, Chiba) 9 Dishes using local special foodstuff (Asagiri Kogen roadside station, Shizuoka) Even a live stage performance! (Hachioji-Takiyama roadside station, Tokyo)