THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 14, 1995 TAG: 9504130155
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 121 lines
Road has returned from vacation refreshed and very happy to be back on the road with sane drivers.
Yes, believe it or not, Virginia drivers are tame compared to other places. Or, at least one other place - Grand Bahama Island.
Road's first experience on a bus was the first clue that the sky's the limit when it came to driving on that island.
Our Bahamian bus driver was all over the two-lane road, tossing people back and forth in their seats at a speed of about 50 mph. He took some turns that even made Road wince. It was even scarier because they drive on the ``wrong'' side of the road there.
Speaking of refreshed, the Virginia Department of Transportation (affectionately known as VDOT) is holding its annual Adopt-A-Highway Spring Cleanup starting this Saturday and going through April 22.
The cleanup is in preparation for Historic Garden Week the following week and that means volunteers will be cleaning up stretches of adopted highway.
Adopt-A-Highway participants agree to clean a two-mile stretch of road four times a year for two years. VDOT asks that folks coordinate two yearly cleanings to correspond with statewide trash pick ups.
Everyone is invited to participate in both the Adopt-A-Highway program (they provide the blue signs, orange vests and trash bags) and the spring cleanup, even if that means cleaning up the trash in your own yard or neighborhood.
For more information on the program, call 1-800-PRIDE-VA.
C'mon, Virginia, let's get beautiful.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
George Jones, Salem Woods. On LANDSTOWN, coming from DAM NECK and approaching PRINCESS ANNE ROAD, there is only one right-turn lane onto Princess Anne, even though most of the traffic turns right, causing the straight ahead lane to try and squeeze into the right-turn lane at the last moment.
My solution is to make the straight-ahead lane on the right either straight or right turn and I would appreciate your help.
RW: Let me see, your solution would actually be two right-turn lanes, one of which would also be a straight lane?
Wanted to be sure Road understood the offered solution before we talked about the problem.
Dual right-turn lanes, in themselves, are feasible. A perfect example is at the exit of Route 44 at Rosemont Road. However, there is also a ``no right turn on red'' sign there so that both right-turn lanes aren't competing to turn on red, and perhaps risking an accident because the far left right lane can't see over the folks next to them.
So, again, dual right-turn lanes aren't an impossible feat in the city, however engineers say, (and no, Road doesn't say this, engineers do) that the right-turning traffic volumes aren't high enough to constitute another right-turn lane.
Because folks can feel free to turn right on red there, the traffic shouldn't be backing up that much. One engineer travels this area twice daily and has not seen major backups. Though, he does concede at rush hour, right-turners may have to wait a second or two longer.
If there are more complaints from other folks on this area, then engineers will go out and have a look at it.
The following wrote to Road:
Hugh J. Flynn, Hanover Drive. I am a faithful reader of your page in The Beacon. You always seem to be able to help with a question or a problem. Maybe you could tell me why the street signs have been removed from OLDHAM and HANOVER drives, off Princess Anne Road south? And will they be reinstalled? Hope you got a nice Bahamian suntan.
RW: It's more like a nice Bahamian burn, but thanks for the wishes, Hugh.
In reference to your street sign question, sounds as if someone wanted a souvenir, or two in this case.
The city doesn't typically remove street signs, unless for construction.
But, anyhow, Road has reported the problem to the city's operations bureau and hopefully they'll have some signs made up and installed pronto.
J.B. Matlow, Brockie Street. After your response to my letter in The Beacon, you have confirmed what was a growing opinion I held of you. It seems you are much more an apologist for the ineffectual traffic engineers the city has than an advocate for the Virginia Beach driver, as you purport yourself to be.
It is apparent that you do not routinely drive INDIAN RIVER ROAD where it meets FERRELL PARKWAY. If you did you would have no doubt that that intersection is totally unsafe and needs to be changed expeditiously. For drivers on Indian River to have to cross FERRELL PARKWAY without a light is ludicrous!
In addition, you said that my suggestion would only serve to increase traffic on INDIAN LAKES. I say, so what. Indian Lakes has plenty of room and no traffic worth speaking of, as well as a light to cross Ferrell Parkway.
You also state that the branch of Indian River in question was intended to be a feeder for Lake Christopher. I know a number of people who live in Lake Chris who would prefer that road to be local access instead of a thoroughfare anyway.
It is time you stopped standing up for the Virginia Beach traffic engineers. All they know how to do is make irrational decisions and try to justify them. If you don't believe that, just take a look at Lynnhaven Parkway in Brigadoon near Albright. Narrowing it down to one lane is ludicrous and makes it much harder to get through that intersection than it used to be.
Do what you bill yourself to be! Start looking out for the drivers of the Beach.
RW: When Road gets a call of concern, the first thing that's done is to call engineers and relay the message and get a response. Road doesn't put words in an engineer's mouth just because it would be something someone would want to hear.
Road is as stuck with an engineer's answer as the rest of you are.
Road has plenty of personal thoughts about certain actions taken by engineers in our fine city but you don't hear Road's voice in this column with those opinions because the column is for readers to voice their opinions and not for Road to have a running commentary on foolishness.
Elect Road to City Council and then maybe Road can move mountains, or at the least, roads. Until then, give me a break. MEMO: Tell the Road Warrior about your motoring problems. Get 'em off your
chest. Call on Infoline, at 640-5555. After a brief message, dial ROAD
(7623). When directed, press 1 to deliver your message, and 1 again to
sign off.
Or, write: The Road Warrior, Virginia Beach Beacon, 4565 Virginia
Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va. 23462.
Don't forget to include your name, address and neighborhood.
by CNB