Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990 TAG: 9007120509
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
Results of the 400-person survey were released Wednesday by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, which commissioned the survey to find out if residents would support regional cooperation to solve a number of issues.
Nearly 95 percent of the respondents said they thought traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel was a problem.
Of those saying they would be willing to fund a new crossing through tolls, more than half said they would pay at least $1 each way.
"I think people see this as an important need in the area," said Norfolk Mayor Joseph A. Leafe. "If you're specific about a project, and it's something people clearly regard as a need, I think they're willing to pay for it."
State Sen. Robert C. Scott of Newport News, chairman of a legislative subcommittee studying southeastern Virginia transportation needs, agreed.
"Backups at the tunnel are one of the worst problems in the area," Scott said. "I'm surprised by the support of a toll. But having that many people willing to pay will go a long way toward getting a new tunnel built."
Of the people surveyed, about two-thirds said they used the tunnel at least once in the past month. About one-quarter said they had used it five or more times in the past month.
On a typical summer Friday, more than 90,000 vehicles cram the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel's parallel tubes - about one a second. The two tubes were designed to handle about 55,000 vehicles a day.
The survey of 400 residents of southeastern Virginia was conducted last month by Continental Research, a Norfolk consulting firm.
by CNB