THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502090181
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
It's almost time to shower the ones you love with gifts of chocolate and flowers in honor of Saint Valentine and the day of mush and sweetness in his honor, Valentine's Day.
Road's a few days early in spreading the goo, but there's a good reason. While everyone's in the mood for love, Road thought it'd be a good idea to remind folks that next week is National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week.
The people at the Department of Motor Vehicles, with a group of volunteers from Concerned Citizens Advocating Traffic Safety, will be out in full-force on Feb. 18 for free child safety seat checks.
Child safety seat checks are routinely done throughout the year and more and more people are getting involved. This year marks the first time that the Virginia Beach Fire Department, with more than 300 members, has become involved in the program.
Four of the safety seat checks, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be at local fire stations - No. 2 (Haygood and Witchduck roads); No. 9 (Kempsville and Princess Anne roads); No. 12 (Birdneck Road in Seatack); and No. 19 (Stumpy Lake at Pleasant Valley).
The really cool thing about the fire department getting involved is that you can now have your child's safety seat checked for correct installation, seat recalls, etc., at any of the local fire stations, almost anytime, all year long (except when they're fighting a fire).
The firefighters have been trained to make safety seat checks and, according to Capt. Mike Claggett, a health and safety committee member of the Virginia Beach Fire Department, they're more than happy to oblige a free safety seat check anytime during the normal business hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Anyway, back to the mother of all safety seat checks Feb. 18 - specialists will be on hand to check for proper installation, recalls and seat inspections.
In addition, throughout the end of the month, Concerned Citizens Advocating Traffic Safety will also be collecting ``old, used, borrowed and abused'' child safety seats as part of its fourth annual safety seat ``round-up.'' The goal is to collect used and potentially dangerous seats so that they cannot be resold. More than 800 seats were rounded up last year.
Folks who turn in old seats will be given a $5 reward. Seats can be dropped off at all Hall Auto World locations, AAA of Tidewater and all DMV branches.
And remember, if you love 'em, you'll belt 'em.
Love and kisses, Road.
P.S. In an effort to become more user-friendly, Road has capitalized the first reference of a particular street so that readers can scan to the area they're interested in. If this doesn't work for you, let me know.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Peggy Walker, no address given. I'm calling regarding the intersection of COLUMBUS and CONSTITUTION. Before someone gets killed we need a traffic light out there. There's already been several accidents and those theaters have caused a real traffic problem. Thanks, if you can help at all.
RW: Wish Road could help, Peggy, but the truth is, engineers have already said there will be no traffic signal installed here.
If there have been accidents it's because people aren't following the big red signs that say ``STOP.'' And, if you think about it, the theaters are only a problem after a movie lets out, which is, what, a couple of times a day?
Becky Benton, Virginia Beach. I was just wondering how close can someone actually park to your driveway if they're parked on a curb?
RW: First, no one should be ``parked on a curb.'' Now, if they're parked next to a curb, they're OK.
Anyway, as long as there are no ``no parking'' signs around, anyone (you or I) can park at the curb near a driveway as long as we don't block that driveway in any way. If someone's blocking you in by an inch, call them on it. That's breaking a law. Otherwise, there are no recorded measurements for such parking.
Dave Gresens, Lake Shores. I read a lot about the CMAQ (retiming traffic lights) program that you've been writing about and I was pretty skeptical for a while.
But, I'll tell you, for the last two weeks I've noticed a real difference in NORTHAMPTON BOULEVARD when I drive down from Shore Drive to the Lake Wright area. I noticed I'm hitting every light in green and it's saving me three to five minutes on my trip down Northampton. Although I was skeptical at first, it sounds like it's working. Whatever the program is, count me in. Let's see it going on throughout the city.
RW: Right on, Dave! Road can't wait to get out on the road and test this timing project out myself. Which you can bet we'll do. In fact, anyone care to volunteer as a ``testee?''
Joe Just, no address given. Regarding the completed INDIAN RIVER ROAD project - one of the things that I think is still off is the stoplight that was installed at Thompkins Lane. I often see the light become red on Indian River Road even without any cars coming up on Thompkins Lane. It's a wasted light, I think. It'd be much better if it were just gone or flashing yellow.
RW: Although the road construction is completed, or most of it, none of the lights has been synchronized with each other. Therefore, the light is on an automatic clock which switches it automatically, not on demand.
All this will change once CMAQ comes rolling through the area. This will be one of the last areas to be done because of construction, though.
As for the light not being needed, I doubt the folks who live there in the neighborhood and are trying to get out on Indian River Road heading east will say that it's not needed.
Dory Nisson, no address given. About INDIAN RIVER ROAD - the new construction is great, it does make traffic move faster but, as a reminder to motorists, the speed limit is now 35 mph. Will that ever go back up again?
I get the meanest looks and the foulest gestures when I drive 35 mph on that road because everyone goes screaming by me while I'm driving the speed limit.
RW: Try driving 35 mph anywhere in this city and you'll likely get the same treatment, speed limit or no speed limit. People are just becoming averse to driving 35. What was that Ted Nugent song? ``I can't drive 55'' or was it 35?
Anyway, the speed limit will likely remain at 35 because of all the signals that have been added to the roadway. Not to mention all the shopping centers and residential areas that people need to get in and out of safely. 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