THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411110334
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 153 lines
EVERY MONDAY through Friday, Jane Clore dons a light blue smock and makes the drive from her Witchduck home to work, arriving almost 30 minutes before her shift begins at 2 p.m.
She's had the same routine for four years - a routine that is likely to change.
Whether it happens this year or next, Clore is bracing herself for the inevitable - unemployment or a job transfer.
Clore works for the Virginia Department of Transportation as a toll collector on the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway.
She, and about 75 or so of her comrades, could be reassigned, or maybe lose their jobs, if and when the tolls are lifted.
It's a game of roulette that workers at the toll plaza play continuously as elected officials debate the pros and cons of removing the tolls now or in the next century. Gov. George Allen recently hinted that such action could come as early as next October. The issue definitely will surface again early next year in the General Assembly.
Meanwhile, workers are left to wonder and wait to see what the future holds for their employment.
Clore, a 45-year-old widow, supports herself and her household, which is shared by two adult children and one grandchild. Although talk of abolishing the quarter and dime tolls on Route 44 comes almost every year, Clore can't help but react to each and every rumor.
``What if it's seniority first? I'm probably at the bottom of the list,'' said the Virginia Beach native. ``What am I going to do if I can't be placed some place else? Collect unemployment? You can't live off unemployment.''
When reports surfaced last week that Gov. George Allen is in favor of abolishing the tolls, Clore went home in tears, she said.
Every time the subject comes up, she experiences that ``initial shock.''
``That's what this is, a waiting game,'' said Clore, a friendly woman with a bright smile. ``I have to remind myself that it's just a job. I know some people who are still frantic about it and I don't blame them.''
Luckily for Clore and the other VDOT employees at the toll facility, Director Neil Ogden has foresight.
He has already implemented cross-training among the collectors. Most of them will get, or have gotten, a three-week training period as workers in one of the area tunnels such as the Elizabeth River tunnels and the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Ogden began the cross-training last summer, when he and his employees met to discuss the fate of their jobs at the toll booths. Although they may not be collecting tolls on Route 44 for much longer, Ogden has tried to ensure his employees that they will have jobs elsewhere with VDOT.
``I think by now they know a little bit more what we're doing to place them,'' said Ogden, who has been with VDOT for almost 30 years, 16 of those spent at the toll plaza. ``Before that, a lot of questions were being asked.''
Of the 75 positions at the toll plaza, currently 25 are filled by temporary workers hired from an agency; 50 positions are filled by permanent workers. Ogden has yet to fill, and has no plans to fill, four open permanent salaried positions. They are also being filled by temporary workers.
Flora White, a 33-year-old single mother of three children, has worked collecting tolls for a month. She is one of the 25 temporaries hired from an outside agency.
White said the agency told her the assignment would be ``temporary,'' something she's accustomed to because she works for an agency offering temporary help. But she had hoped to eventually be hired as a full-time salaried worker as several other ``temps'' at the toll plaza have been.
She doesn't see any chance for that now.
``But I still love coming here every day,'' said the Rosemont Road resident.
Even Ogden jokes about maybe taking an early retirement and getting a part-time job himself.
He's seen the toll area go from eight to 10 lanes in 1978 and from 10 to 14 in 1983.
Ogden has adopted the same attitude as his employees.
``I can't worry about it,'' said Ogden, a Chesapeake native with a wife and two grown children. ``The worst that could happen is that I might have to go out and get a part-time job. But then, most of the things we worry about today never come to pass.''
He said one thing many people don't realize is that the quarter tolls have paid for all the work and upkeep on the toll road since its inception in 1967. Without the tolls, the city would have had to pick up the expense.
``Everything's always been paid for by the tolls,'' he said. ``It hasn't cost anyone anything else, and we have not gone up (in cost) in all the time that we've been open.''
Roughly, the tolls collected each day add up to about $32,876. MEMO: Related story also on page 10.
ROLL CALL
The General Assembly once again will take up the issue of removing
tolls on the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway when it convenes in
January in Richmond. Staff writer Bill Reed asked members of the city's
delegation the following question: ``Are you in favor of removing the
expressway tolls as soon as possible?'' Here are their responses.
State Sen. Mark L. Earley (R) - ``I'm for it and have been for some
time, primarily because we have to keep the faith with the people in
Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area. We promised to take the tolls
off, when it (the expressway) was paid for.''
State Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle (R) - ``I support the removal of the
tolls. I think the road (expressway) is paid for. The bottom line is
that this was a promise that was made to the citizens of Virginia
Beach.''
State Sen. Clarence Holland (D) - ``I'm not here to keep the tolls
on, but I hate to see Virginia Beach, which is the middle of the Suffolk
District (of the Virginia Department of Transportation), have to compete
for funding for highways when the money is available already.''
Del. Glenn R. Croshaw (D) - Could not be reached by phone, but he
co-sponsored a bill in the last session of the General Assembly for the
early removal of the expressway tolls.
Del. Robert F. McDonnell (R) - ``I am in favor of removing the tolls
for basically two or three reasons. One is that there were promises made
by a previous generation of legislators that once there was enough money
in the trust fund to pay off the bonds, it would be done. Secondly, 90
percent of that money comes from Virginia Beach residents. . . it's not
out-of-town tourists so the impact is disproportionate. There's enough
money in the fund for other projects. But, it's not necessarily a cash
cow for other projects.
Del. Harry R. Purkey (R) - Could not be contacted by telephone.
Del. Robert Tata (R) - ``I would think in a year or two we could
remove the tolls. We already have the money (in the trust fund) for a
number of road projects. We promised we'd do that and we should honor
that promise.
Del. Frank W. Wagner (R) - ``I'm very supportive of removing them
(tolls) as early as possible. It's a bad tax. It takes $2 in tolls to
raise $1 for maintenance. What you see is wasteful government
bureaucracy.''
Del. Leo C. Wardrup Jr. (R) - ``In favor. The point is the road has
been paid for. A great deal of money is in the reserve fund to
accomplish most of the (expressway-related) road projects. The entire
Virginia Beach delegation, except Sen. Holland has signed on (to the
early toll removal).''
ILLUSTRATION: Color cover and other staff photos by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Neil Ogden, who runs the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway's toll
facilities for VDOT, said the quarter and dime tolls have paid for
all the work and upkeep on the toll road since its inception in
1967. ``. . . and we have not gone up (in cost) in all the time that
we've been open,'' he said.
Opened in 1967, the toll area went from eight to 10 lanes in 1978
and from 10 to 14 in 1983. The tolls collected each day total nearly
$33,000.
Jane Clore, also pictured on the cover, supports herself, two adult
children and one grandchild on her toll collector's salary.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH-NORFOLK EXPRESSWAY ROUTE 44 TOLLS by CNB