ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 13, 1997 TAG: 9704110008
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETTY HAYDEN SNIDER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Readers offer ideas on improving traffic flow around the region's largest mall; the experts respond
DOZENS OF READERS - particularly those who had been stuck in traffic near Valley View Mall - responded to our request for questions or suggestions about that area's traffic pattern. We gave some of those responses to two traffic engineers and asked for their opinions.
Bob Bengtson, traffic engineer for the city of Roanoke, was hired 17 years ago by the man who designed the Hershberger Road-Valley View Boulevard interchange. "I saw it all happen," he says. He's heard a lot of complaints from shoppers and local residents over the years, but he says the planned Valley View interchange will go a long way toward satisfying the frustrated drivers.
Robert Hofrichter, chief traffic engineer for the state Department of Transportation, hasn't been around long enough to catch quite as much flak. The Virginia Tech graduate remembers the area from his college days, but he has only been at VDOT's Salem office for two years. He spent a recent morning driving around Valley View Boulevard and Hershberger Road to familiarize himself with the area.
#1. Getting across Hershberger to Aviation
Linda Oliver of Salem asks why traffic has to "zoom across" three lanes of traffic on Hershberger Road to get to Aviation Drive. "They should have extended the ... overpass over Hershberger, so I don't have to risk getting killed."
What the experts say: Bengtson says the new Valley View interchange will give motorists an alternative route to the airport area, so they won't have to weave across three lanes of Hershberger Road. The road designers put the Aviation Drive flyover exit on the left side of Hershberger in order to handle eastbound traffic. If it had been placed elsewhere, other problems would have worsened traffic flow for a greater number of vehicles.
Hofrichter says motorists might try passing up the flyover and turning toward Towne Square Shopping Center at Rutgers Street. "This will give you several hundred more feet in which to move into the left lane, though it may take a little longer as you wait for the Rutgers signal to let you through."
#2. Can't get to Wal-Mart from Sam's
Linda Oliver also wants to know why Towne Square Boulevard traffic can't get to Valley View Boulevard. "If I want to go from Phar-Mor to Wal-Mart, I've got to get back on Hershberger and get off at the Valley View Boulevard exit."
What the experts say: A long-standing goal of the city has been uninterrupted access (no stoplights) from downtown to the airport via the interstate. So, when Towne Square Shopping Center was built, one of the conditions was that traffic not be allowed to enter Aviation Drive from Towne Square Boulevard, Bengtson says. "If the access had been allowed, the intersection would have needed a traffic signal."
This traffic pattern "makes sense if you assume Aviation Drive's primary purpose is to serve airport traffic, not local shoppers," Hofrichter says.
#3. Lights keep traffic deep, road should be wider
David Loduca of Botetourt County wants to clean up the traffic jam on Hershberger Road. He proposes widening Hershberger and rephasing the lights near Crossroads Mall. He says cars often waitwhile the green light is given to a lane with no cars.
What the experts say: The city's current 20-year transportation plan does not call for widening the six-lane portion of Hershberger Road. Improvements on other roadways such as the widening of Orange Avenue Northeast and widening and realignment of Hollins Road Northeast and 13th Street Southeast are priorities, Bengtson says.
He's glad Loduca pointed out the traffic light problem. The traffic signals on Hershberger Road are interconnected. Heavy traffic on cross streets such as Williamson Road and the short distance between intersections reduces the effectiveness of this interconnection. The problem Loduca pointed out was caused by a signal malfunction that has been fixed.
#4. There's only one way out for all those shoppers
Julie Chapman of Roanoke thinks "having only one and a half entrances and only one exit is absurd for the amount of traffic." Will this be corrected?
What the experts say: The new interchange will provide northbound Interstate-581 traffic with a new way in to the Valley View area, Bengtson says. Traffic leaving the Valley View area will be able to use the new interchange to enter southbound I-581.
Perry Pressley of Roanoke wants to split the exiting traffic on Valley View Boulevard into two distinct lanes. Traffic heading for east Hershberger would stay in the right lane, but all other traffic would stay in the left lane until the first exit is passed. He thinks this will cut down on the congestion of everyone wanting to get in the right lane.
What the experts say: The new interchange will help reduce the congestion at these two exits, Bengtson says. Hofrichter says the idea may be practical, but there may be some negative side effects. Traffic heading for westbound Hershberger could clog up the through lane, especially during the winter shopping season. A significant advantage would be that traffic heading for eastbound Hershberger, which is more likely to back up because of the RutgersO stoplight, would not be in other motorists' way.
#6 ONE WAY IS THE RIGHT WAY
One way around the mall is the right way
Charles Hoskins of Roanoke and several other readers propose making the ring road around Valley View Mall one way. Motorists would turn right at Shaker's restaurant and continue around the mall counterclockwise to reach the rest of the mall and Wal-Mart. With this traffic pattern, there would be no need for the traffic light and no one would make left turns against traffic.
What the experts say: "This would certainly ease the problem of left-turning vehicles and might help with the situation at Lewis-Gale Clinic, but may create an entirely new set of problems," Hofrichter says. "One of these problems is hinted at by the questions Linda Oliver has asked, 'Why can't I get from x to y the short way?'" What would the traffic distribution look like on the ring road? Would heavy traffic stay in the left and right lanes, with very little in the center lane? Also, how would the one-way flow affect the Valley View entrances and exits? "Once again, this is one of those possible solutions that would need to be studied very closely before a decision could be made."
Bengtson says mall developer Faison Associates previously considered and rejected a one-way traffic pattern for the ring road, but he could not recall why. A traffic engineer who has worked with Faison on other projects said a one-way ring road would, in most cases, be both inefficient and unsafe. Not only would it encourage shoppers to drive the wrong way, but it could lead to traffic jams caused by "counter-flow" in the parking lots inside the ring road, he said.
#7 LET'S LIGHT UP THE LEWIS-GALE INTERSECTION
Light up the intersection at Lewis-Gale Clinic
Julie Chapman also thinks there should be a stoplight at Valley View Boulevard North and Valley View Boulevard West near Lewis-Gale Clinic. "The only thing to do sometimes is to turn right just to leave the mall. It's just ridiculous."
What the experts say: "The decision of whether or not to install a traffic signal is a difficult one in general," Hofrichter says. "Traffic signals can help solve certain problems, such as long delays on the side streets and angle accidents." Traffic lights can also cause rear-end accidents and delays on main streets.
Once mall traffic patterns adjust to the new interchange, the intersection near Lewis-Gale will be re-evaluated, Bengtson says.
#8. STICK A FORK IN THAT EXIT RAMP
Stick a fork in that interstate exit ramp
David Foster of Salem thinks a fork should be put in the Hershberger Road exit ramp leaving I-581, with the left half leading, as now, to Hershberger Road. The right fork would lead behind the Best Western and AmeriSuites hotels. "This would utilize a parcel of land which today has a Copty 'for sale' sign on it." Foster also thinks Hershberger traffic should be prevented from turning right onto Valley View Boulevard North (near the hotels). Instead, Hershberger traffic would make the second turn onto Valley View Boulevard.
What the experts say: "Actually, one of my employees recommended something similar - basically widening the exit ramp to two lanes with one lane going into the Valley View road system and the other going to Hershberger," Hofrichter says. "By putting a barrier between the lanes, traffic on Hershberger would be prevented from using this entrance into the mall."
Bengtson says the new interchange should reduce the amount of traffic using this exit. As for the two mall entrances, signs were placed on Hershberger last year that advise shoppers to use the second mall entrance. Similar signs recommend that exiting interstate drivers take the first mall entrance.
#9. BRING DEAD-END TO LIFE
Bring 'ridiculous dead-end cul-de-sac' to life
In Foster's plan, if interstate traffic is funneled behind the hotels and Hershberger traffic is barred from Valley View Boulevard North, the road would be "recast as a mall exit onto Hershberger where today it ends in a ridiculous dead-end cul-de-sac." The dead-end becomes more absurd when drivers cannot turn left out of the Texas Steakhouse parking lot because traffic is backed up trying to enter the mall ring road. "You have to turn right, go to the dead end, make a U-turn and join the line of traffic entering the mall just so you can leave!"
What the experts say: VDOT will not permit traffic to enter Hershberger from Valley View Boulevard North because this would cause "serious merging problems with Hershberger traffic," Bengtson says.
Hofrichter agrees there are problems with this idea. A "significant" acceleration lane would have to be put in and then carried over the Aviation Drive-Valley View Boulevard overpass. The lane might create conflicts further down Hershberger because of the traffic signal at Rutgers Street, especially during the busy winter shopping season.
# 10. CAN I BIKE OR HIKE TO THE MALL?
Will I be able to pedal my bike or hike to the mall?
Debra Giles of Roanoke wants to know if there will be bicycle and pedestrian access to Valley View.
What the experts say: The city has asked VDOT if bicycle and pedestrian access can be part of the new Valley View interchange, Bengtson says. "This would enable the city to plan for an extension of a bicycle and pedestrian connection to the west which could then connect to a proposed greenway corridor along Lick Run."
#11. DON'T SHORT-CHANGE US
Don't short-change us with half an interchange
John Dresely of Moneta thinks the new interchange should be a full interchange. "The Hershberger-Valley View Boulevard and airport approach roads were a quick fix that just did not look far enough into the future to plan for a long-range master plan." Building only two entrance roads and one exit was short-sighted. "Let's not do it again."
What the experts say: "The question of what kind of interchange should be built is part art, part science and part finance," Hofrichter says. Each kind of interchangehas potential problems. Cloverleafs use up lots of land and don't always allow sufficient merge lanes. Diamonds require two stoplights which can create bottlenecks. SPUIs (single-point urban interchange) are basically modified diamonds that use only one stoplight and can be confusing to motorists unfamiliar with them. Trumpets allow access in only three directions, not four, and may require significant redesign if additional access is needed.
The new partial interchange's design, which may end up as a trumpet, allows for expansion to a full interchange if needed, Bengtson says. Traffic projections indicate that the full interchange won't be needed for another 15 years.
LENGTH: Long : 237 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. Linda Oliver of Salemby CNBsays it's a hassle getting from Phar-Mor to Wal-Mart. "I've got to
get back on Hershberger and get off at the Valley View Boulevard
exit," she said. Another complaint from Oliver: Traffic has to "zoom
across" three lanes on Hershberger Road to get to Aviation Drive. 2.
David Loduca of Botetourt County says a wider Hershberger Road and
rephasing of lights near Crossroads Mall would help alleviate mall
traffic problems. 3. Perry Pressley of Roanoke would like to see
traffic exiting Valley View Boulevard split into two distinct lanes.
4. Charles Hoskins of Roanoke was one of several readers who
suggests making the ring road around Valley View Mall one way.
Motorists would turn right at Shaker's and continue around the mall,
eliminating the need for a traffic light. 5. Julie Chapman of
Roanoke thinks a stoplight would help ease traffic woes around
Lewis-Gale Clinic. 6. David Foster of Salem suggests putting a fork
in the exit ramp of I-581 to serve Valley View Mall traffic. 7.
Moneta's John Dresely thinks the new Valley View interchange should
be a full interchange. color.i Graphic: 2 color maps by Robert
Lunsford.