Missing, though, are direct access ramps from the Thruway, making it cumbersome to reach, according to critics. They say the money could have been used for other projects, such as a year-round attraction to draw tourists during the lean winter months.

The Thruway Authority says the center is succeeding and points to the number of visitors in the first year. There were 177,224 visitors, according to authority figures based on computer software that counts the people entering the facility.

But that number may be inflated.

The day The News spent at the center, many people were observed entering the center, stepping outside to sit in the sunshine or eat at the picnic tables, and then returning to the center to use the restrooms before leaving.

A Thruway Authority spokeswoman acknowledged that the people-counting technology was not capable of determining if visitors were counted multiple times. According to the authority’s counting system, 728 people visited the center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Aug. 9.

Yet unlike traditional Thruway rest stops that are frequently crowded, the welcome center, critics said, is often a ghost town.