(a) Unless prohibited by federal law or regulation, the department, to promote public safety and convenience, may construct, operate, and maintain a maximum of six new safety roadside rest area units as a joint economic development demonstration project where there is a public need for a rest area, and the joint economic development proposal will result in an economic savings to the state.

(b) All of the following apply to the demonstration project safety roadside rest area units:

(1) Contracts for construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities in the demonstration project roadside rest areas shall be awarded on the basis of competitive bidding.

(2) The department may permit commercial operations within the units if the operations are traveler-related activities and no alcoholic beverages are sold within the rest area facility.

(3) Law enforcement responsibilities within the units are the same as are currently provided on the state highway system.

(4) The department shall submit a status report to the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation one year following construction of the initial unit and annually thereafter.

(5) The department holds, or affords the opportunity for, a public hearing for each proposed unit so that local community members who may be affected by rest area economic development and other interested parties may comment on the proposed project.

(c) Any money received by the state for the demonstration project shall be deposited by the department in the State Highway Account.

(Added by renumbering Section 227 by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1228, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1993.)