One of the most impactful decisions for New Hampshire’s Interstate 95 corridor for the next 35 years is Hampton rest area project. This public-facing, welcoming gateway for turnpike travelers will serve an extraordinary number of vehicles entering the Granite State daily. It will not only fulfill necessities such as fuel, food and related services, but also serve as a welcome center for leisure, business, motorcoach and truck travel, each of which is critical to the success of our state’s economy.
The importance of these facilities cannot be underestimated, given the economic significance of I-95 and its role as the primary interstate to the majority of northern New England.
The responsibility of choosing who will enter into a long-term agreement must be done in a thoughtful and well-informed manner with competent, capable and reputable concerns from whom to choose. Prospective candidates must do more than simply present a functional project or check a box for available services. Instead, they must be proven capable of creating an inviting, clean and creative experience, while adapting to users’ changing needs throughout the agreement term. Consideration should also be given to the prior experience of all bidders regarding customer satisfaction, cleanliness, operations, reinvestment and their relationships with the states in which they have provided similar services.
One of the two finalists, Global Partners, Inc., initially lost bids to operate 18 Massachusetts rest area facilities in a request for proposal issued by Massachusetts in 2025. This led to Global filing lawsuits against the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Massachusetts is now in a position where it must reissue the proposal and repeat the process.
Questions, however, remain about the quality of service, cleanliness, and capital reinvestment at those facilities operated by Global in the Commonwealth. Extensive due diligence must be conducted as part of the New Hampshire process including reaching out to those Massachusetts based parties to confirm that Global meets New Hampshire’s performance criteria. Global is a Massachusetts company bidding on a New Hampshire gateway. This is even more concerning, as New Hampshire should be working to promote New Hampshire businesses.
By comparison, the other respondent, Common Man Roadside, a New Hampshire-based company, is the first private operator of a full-service travel center in the Granite State. Now in its eleventh year of operations, the company has enjoyed stellar reviews since opening on what is the state’s busiest highway. Facilities are clean, staffing is friendly and food options are not the typical fare found throughout other rest areas in New England.
Since the beginning of operations, Common Man has continued to innovate to meet the needs of New Hampshire’s visitors, not only as markets have changed but also in the face of adversity caused by the 2020 pandemic.
C&J Bus Lines has operated service for the past 58 years on the New Hampshire I-95 corridor. Like Common Man, we have embraced the mindset that attention to detail, innovation and innovative change will always yield positive results. We are also keenly aware that the lack of the aforementioned can negatively impact not only the service provider but also the region that it serves. The character of the Eastern Gateway to New Hampshire I-95 corridor is clearly at stake.
A recent article in the New Hampshire Journal spoke to the presence or lack thereof regarding Global’s presence here in New Hampshire. Yes, they operate numerous locations in the Granite State, most of which are the same non-descript convenience and fuel store locations of the corporate variety, lacking vision, character and, most importantly, the essence of New Hampshire.
We believe that awarding the bid for this project must weigh the financial benefits not only of the project itself, but also of the region and the state. Choosing an innovative, hands-on New Hampshire operator will ensure that our 16.2 miles of interstate continue to showcase the attractiveness of our state to Maine and Massachusetts residents and beyond.
James M. Jalbert is the CEO of C&J Bus Lines, based in Portsmouth.