THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 17, 1995 TAG: 9503150147
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THE ROAD WARRIOR
LENGTH: Long : 121 lines
On this St. Paddy's Day, the ``DRIVE SMART Hampton Roads'' program is hooking up with several restaurants and bars to promote safe and sober driving - and that's no blarney.
The community safety program is providing 14-ounce car mugs, with the slogan ``Don't Depend on Luck - DRIVE SMART.'' They will be distributed free to designated drivers.
Participating restaurants and bars have promised to also fill the mugs for free with non-alcoholic beverages.
The 12 Beach restaurants participating are: Foggs Seaside Grill, Dough Boy's California Pizza Cafe, Worrell Brothers, Abbey Road Restaurant, Alexander's on the Bay, The Lemon Tree and Clark's Pub, Chicho's, Xeniks, Hot Tuna Bar & Grill, Rudee's Restaurant and Raw Bar, King of the Sea Restaurant, and Keifer's.
If you're out in search of green suds this evening, swing by one of these hot spots so that your designated driver can whet his or her whistle, too - with the virgin stuff.
Another public safety note: The statewide program ``Please Be Seated'' is celebrating its fourth anniversary. To date, more than 35,000 cards have been mailed in to report observations of unrestrained children in motor vehicles.
Motorists who see an unrestrained child in another vehicle are invited to fill out a blue card, which asks about a vehicle's license plate number, location and approximate age of the child or children involved.
The owner of the car is then sent a ``friendly reminder'' about buckling children up.
If you'd like to get some of these cards, call the Please Be Seated program at 1-800-732-8333 or write: Please Be Seated, P.O. Box 1172, Richmond, Va. 23209.
Cards are free and can be obtained at all DMV branch offices, some pediatricians' offices, the American Automobile Association (AAA) offices and SAFE KIDS coalitions.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Gilda Himpley, General Booth Boulevard.
On GENERAL BOOTH, at the entrance and exit to Kmart, across the street from HUBBELL DRIVE, there are a lot of accidents.
It's just a shame because a traffic light could avoid possible death or tragedy.
RW: The good news, Gilda, is that a light will be installed. But it will be installed only at Hubbell Drive, the south entrance to Kmart. The signal is in the design stage now, but engineers hope to have it installed by the fall.
The project money won't even be available until July 1. However, according to engineers, it is considered a ``priority project.''
Jonathon Rose, Virginia Beach. I would love to see the traffic engineers take the white line that you stop at on POTTERS ROAD at the intersection of LYNNHAVEN PARKWAY and bring it back a few feet so those of us that yield right on to Lynnhaven Parkway to get on Route 44 can easily see oncoming traffic when cars are stopped at the red light. It would make life a lot safer. Thanks if you can help us get that done.
RW: Engineers say you could have a point, Jonathon. You're saying the vehicles that are sitting at the light to go straight across Lynnhaven Parkway to South Lynnhaven Parkway are blocking the view of the right-turners?
The idea of moving the stop bar is not a bad one. However, it's much more involved than you would think. Engineers promise to ``entertain'' the idea, but don't get out the paint scraper yet.
Olivia Borgerbing, no address given. I'm calling about light synchronization along DAM NECK, between HOLLAND ROAD and LONDON BRIDGE. They raised the speed limit to 55 mph, which is great, but the light is still in sync to about 45 mph and it seems stupid.
RW: Bad news for you and other Dam Neck followers - the retiming project, Congestion Mitigation for Air Quality (CMAQ), will not include Dam Neck Road. Why? Because the signals on Dam Neck are too far apart in this area. There's one at Landstown, one at Holland and Dam Neck, one at London Bridge and then one at Harper's. It would be an impossible feat to coordinate those signals with all that space between them.
Carol, no address given. I read your article in the paper about driving from Norfolk to Virginia Beach. It's true they may be a little slow in Norfolk but at least you don't get cut-off with people moving from the left lane to make a right turn.
In Norfolk at least you've got street signs that you can tell which street you're on. Not like in Virginia Beach, where you can't find the street signs half the time. Just wanted to let you know, I commute back and forth every day too, and hey, I'd still rather drive Norfolk than Virginia Beach.
RW: In the interest of continuing to earn a paycheck (which comes from Norfolk, by the way) - no comment, Carol.
The following wrote to Road:
R.B. Moorman, South Fir Court. In reference to your response to Reed Woodruff (fly-over from I-64 to Route 44).
I find it hard to believe a VDOT engineer could not identify the problem with this fly-over.
I have traveled (often) throughout the U.S. and abroad. Without exception, the I-64 to Route 44 flyover is the worst I have encountered. I drive this route every day. I suffer through the back-up (which the fly-over was advertised to resolve) and witness the last minute lane changes as motorists who refuse to wait in line jump into any opening in the line (old-time I-64 drivers referred to this maneuver as ``squirreling'' back in the days before I-64 was widened).
Because of the hill, you cannot see the exit, the natural response is to slow even more (many almost stop).
Tell that VDOT engineer to fill in the ``hole'' or blind spot in the I-64 to Route 44 flyover and just maybe people will respond as they do to any other well designed flyover in this great super-highway covered country of ours (they maintain their speed).
RW: A couple of points to your letter. First, Road would hope that no one is maintaining a speed of 55 mph while trying to take that ramp. At 55 mph, you'd be over the side of that barrier in a heartbeat.
And although you may have a point there about the ``squirrelers,'' exit signs are posted about a half mile up the road, well before you get near that curve, giving you plenty of time to know which lane you should be in.
I think this situation isn't necessarily bad design (although Road would argue for two exit lanes to Route 44) but more a problem of people trying to beat other people to the pump, or exit, in this case. It's difficult to combat rudeness. 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. 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