THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508250229
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
As the city prepares to build a new courthouse on nearly an entire downtown city block, preparations are already underway to deal with two of that area's greatest enemies - trucks and parking.
Suffolk's Main Street, the main road through downtown, sees an average flow of about 30,000 vehicles per day, 3,000 of which are large trucks weighing more than 7,500 pounds. During the harvesting seasons, those numbers nearly double, according to Thomas G. Hines, Suffolk's director of public works.
And with construction set to begin early next year on a $14 million courthouse in the heart of downtown, there is some concern by city officials over where all this traffic will go.
No conclusions were reached during Wednesday's work session of the Suffolk City Council, but one thing was clear - the city's plans to re-route truck traffic did not please the council, which has asked that Hines return with more alternate truck routes.
Hines said the current proposal would move 3,000 trucks from Main Street to the Industrial Access Road, which currently sees an average of about 6,000 trucks per day.
Hines said Thursday that his department has already come up with four options for the council, one of which is to retain the current truck route through Main Street.
The Council's delay is not expected to delay the re-routing process, Hines said.
A resolution drafted but not approved for Wednesday's work session said the re-routing was scheduled to begin Sept. 15 and extend for no more than 36 months. During that time, heavy construction equipment will be located in the heart of downtown as buildings are razed and the new construction begins.
Instead of driving through Main Street to reach U.S. Routes 13 and 32 to North Carolina, Hines proposed that truck traffic be re-routed using the city's Industrial Access Road from Wilroy Road and Pinner Street to County Street and Dill Road, where trucks can pick up U.S. Route 13 and 32.
Vice Mayor Curtis R. Milteer was the first to protest, saying that the neighborhoods of Orlando and South Suffolk would be endangered by the re-routing of truck traffic through their neighborhoods.
``If I were to vote on the issue right now, the answer would be a triple no,'' said Milteer, adding that he was concerned about the safety of children playing in the streets.
Parking is another problem that remains unresolved.
The Downtown Suffolk Association has asked the city to retain on-street parking for their customers. Despite the pending construction, Hines said, several requests for more on-street parking have been made to the city by local businesses.
But at Wednesday's meeting, the council suggested removing such parking for fear it will further congest traffic flow.
Monthly parking in Downtown Suffolk will be relocated from the Bank Street and Commerce Street lots to the old Trailways building on Cherry Street, which the city purchased this month. About 60 additional parking spaces will be created there, according to Hines.
In addition, Hines said he plans to remove the 21 parking meters on the street during construction. Whether they are replaced remains in the air, said Hines.
The city plans to spend about $1,000 to add new signs to the route. At least five intersection in the city need signage before the process can begin.
Hines will likely return to the City Council next month with alternative routes for trucks. by CNB