THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605230171
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Road Warrior
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: 112 lines
If you're a boater or personal watercraft owner, you're probably going to be hearing a lot about a new safety coalition that's been formed.
Members of The Hampton Roads Recreational Boating Safety Coalition will be out en masse this summer to teach folks about safe boating and the correct use of flotation devices.
The coalition formed, in part, due to an increase in boating fatalities on Virginia waters. Coast Guard statistics show that in 1994 there were 129 crashes with 14 deaths. In 1995, there were 150 accidents and 23 deaths. Last year also marked the first death of a personal watercraft operator.
The coalition is a joint effort among many people and agencies, including the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, all area police departments, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Marine Patrol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries, the Tidewater Personal Water Craft Club, Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program and innumerable other community groups and boat retailers.
Already, the coalition has held a free boat safety examination at area boat ramps. It isn't going to stop there. There will be free boat examinations throughout the summer as well as a free, 12-week boating instruction class given by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and another class given by the Power Squadron throughout the year.
According to Peg Nourie, public relations person for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, 11 states now require a license to operate a boat.
If you take any of the courses, you'll be prepared for licensing requirements (if Virginia chooses to require a license) and if you have a boat inspection, you'll get a sticker that shows your boat is equipped with all the necessary safety equipment.
Alcohol and safety awareness on the water is just as important as it is when you're driving on the road.
For information about classes or the safety coalition, call Nourie 399-8138.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Maggie, Little Neck. Once again, I have been caught in the left turn lane turning from VIRGINIA BEACH BOULEVARD onto ROSEMONT and I think there must be a square dance that occurs right after that because there's a lot of cars doing the dosey-doe from the right lane to the left lane from the left lane to the right. They need better markings there and maybe a nice solid stripe to make sure those folks in the right hand left turn lane continue to say there.
There has not been enough publicity about the new traffic pattern there. I'm a little leery about using the whole intersection. Can we do something about that?
RW: Engineers aren't finished with this area. At least, they aren't finished looking at the area to see how things are working and if there's a need for more improvements. They're in the process of doing traffic counts to determine who's coming from where and what direction they're going in.
We'll keep you posted on what they find, if anything.
Chris Davis, Indian Lakes. I was just wondering if you knew whom to contact about when the city's going to start spraying for mosquitoes. I think it'd be nice if they gave different neighborhoods notice so they could close the windows.
RW: Chris. Bugs are not normally Road's forte but, what the heck, I made the call for you anyway. The city has a mosquito hotline you can call to find out where the mosquito truck will be that day, ``weather and wind permitting.'' The hotline is updated after 3:30 p.m. daily and is operated from May through October.
The phone number is 468-ITCH (4824).
Jean, Pembroke. Sharon from Lynnhaven had a question that you didn't answer in your column. Although you did address her concern about late-night work on Route 44.
Is there a place where somebody can tell her what kind of road construction is going on and where it's going to happen so we would know to avoid those areas? If you could answer that question I'd appreciate it.
RW: Shucks, Jean. You're right. Road didn't answer that question so here it is:
The Virginia Department of Transportation has a toll-free highway helpline number where construction and congestion problems on the interstates are reported and updated daily. Accidents are also a part of the daily report.
The number is 1-800-367-ROAD.
Infoline also has a VDOT traffic information service for up-to-the-minute reports on area bridges, tunnels and interstates that includes construction, accidents and lane closures. That number is 640-5555 category 7874.
The city offers news on its automated information phone system Beach-Line. With a touch-tone phone, residents can call 427-3580 and enter category 888. The Beach-Line system offers information on long term street closures and not construction information.
Jennifer Watson, no address given. I'm calling about where OCEANA BOULEVARD merges into GENERAL BOOTH BOULEVARD. There are quite a few problems there. Right where the two roads merge, there's a shopping center directly to the right. There's a problem when people on OCEANA want to go to the shopping center and they have to cut off the merging traffic from GENERAL BOOTH. Also when you come out of the shopping center, it's nearly impossible to make a left turn to get into that center intersection to travel down GENERAL BOOTH.
Usually what you have to do is make a right hand turn, go down to the light at DAM NECK and make a U turn.
It's really a bad problem, especially at rush hour. There are lots of near misses so if you could go down there and check it out I'd really appreciate it.
RW: Undeniably that area is probably one of the worst as far as roads merging. Try checking it out on a city map. What a mess of a traffic pattern and engineers are in the midst of trying to figure out a plan of action for the area.
With the Southeastern Expressway and Greenbelt popping back up as a possibility, there may be changes in conjunction with its construction. Road'll keep you posted as the news trickles in. 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