THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 2, 1996 TAG: 9601310161
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Road Warrior
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 119 lines
Let's clarify the policy about parking school buses on residential streets.
As you may recall, a committee of 17 folks - including a policeman, bus drivers, a traffic engineer and others - was formed this year to develop a school bus parking policy.
The committee submitted its proposal to the School Board on Oct. 17, and the approved policy took effect Nov. 1.
Basically, here's the policy, word for word:
``School bus parking complaints will be addressed on a case by case basis by the staff of the Transportation Services Department. Any request to remove a school bus from a street or neighborhood at night or on weekends, must be submitted in writing by a resident directly affected by the bus, who resides in close proximity (to where the bus is parked) providing the bus number(s) and reasons for the request to the Director of Transportation Services. An alternative parking location which addresses the concerns of the writer will be found. School buses may be parked on the streets and in the neighborhoods during the course of the work day.''
The policy goes on to say that ``it will take approximately 5 working days to move the bus upon receipt of the request letter.''
And, ``close proximity is understood to mean within a block, which would include cul de sacs facing a street where a bus was parked.''
School transportation director David Pace said he has received three residents' requests to move buses. The two bus drivers who had to move their buses were not happy about it, and the third quit before having to do so.
This policy isn't cut and dried. The committee is meeting again Monday to gauge the policy's effectiveness.
Pace said the policy raises some financial concerns because if buses are moved to another site, it may require additional security, lighting and fencing to secure them.
Also, the policy could create bus driver vacancies. That's not the case now because there haven't been many buses contested.
Whatever happens, Road promises to keep abreast of the issue and keep the updates coming.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Dick, no address given. I'm calling about FIRE STATION NO. 10 on PRINCESS ANNE ROAD. I was coming through there the other day and the yellow light was blinking. The engine started coming out, responding to a call, and the blinking light never turned red. What's the purpose of a light if it's not going to stop traffic? If you can get the city to do something about it I'd appreciate it. Thank you.
RW: Actually Dick, Road and engineers think you're talking about Station No. 9, which has an entrance off Princess Anne and Witchduck roads.
Engineers haven't gotten any calls to report the problem and it could be that the firemen were in such a hurry they forgot to hit the light's activation button, which is inside the fire station.
In the interest of safety, engineers will check that the light's working properly.
Terrie, Virginia Beach. I'm wondering why the police don't charge people more for carpool violations (in the HOV lanes). Every morning I see at least one person stopped and it's such a blatant disregard for the law. I don't know why the fine's not more expensive. We could probably have a lot of our debts paid off on the roads if we'd charge people more for violating the rules. Thanks. Bye.
RW: The typical cost of being caught solo in the HOV lanes in Virginia Beach is $79 (a $50 fine and $29 court costs). Each city has different fees for the offense.
Still, $79 is not exactly what Road would call cheap. And, according to the State Police, enforcement by motorcycle officers is a daily thing.
In fact, one officer recently stopped a military man who had a big, overstuffed teddy bear strapped into the front seat as his second passenger.
The bear had a hat and a military jacket on. The man's furry friend was confiscated on the spot, and he was told he could retrieve it at court. At least he had the decency to buckle him up while he was driving.
Doris Mediate, no address given. It annoys the heck out of me that you can't go across town on ARCTIC or BALTIC or any of those streets except for PACIFIC and ATLANTIC without stopping at every light. Why can't they coordinate them?
RW: There's no way to coordinate traffic signal patterns on all sides of an intersection, and since main street traffic is already coordinated, the side streets can't be. Since moving as many people as possible is the goal, coordinating only the main streets makes more sense.
However, each side street is outfitted with traffic sensors that tell the signal that a car is waiting on the side street.
Also, during the winter months, none of the Oceanfront traffic signals is coordinated. They're all on the same demand system that the side streets have year-round. The signals on Pacific and Atlantic will be re-coordinated in late spring.
Ron Lee, no address given. I'm calling in reference to Virginia Beach's finest misdirecting traffic at the entrance to Virginia Wesleyan College on Wesleyan Drive.
It's obvious who pays their salaries from the preference they give to people coming and going from the college but, my question is who pays for the gas and the squad cars when they sit there and let the engine idle and the lights flash?
Just curious to find out exactly who does pay for it, whether it's the taxpayers or the school.
Thanks a lot.
RW: Well, Ron, the school pays the off-duty officers for directing traffic, and the taxpayers pay for the gas for the squad cars.
The college employs the off-duty officers so that students and faculty can get out onto Wesleyan Drive without risking life and limb. Let's face it, without these officers, those folks would be sitting for a long, long time.
As for the lights flashing, the officers are probably wise in doing that so folks are warned that they may have to stop. That road's pretty dark at night.
And, as far as leaving their squad cars running, that could be in case they're called away for an emergency, which can happen. Or, heck, maybe they're just cold. 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.
by CNB