THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507270154
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
A fella named Tom called Road this week with a message about the new Hilltop branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Here's what he said: ``Don't get too excited about the DMV because I hear they're closing the one on Mustang Trail as soon as the one at Hilltop's finished, so the lines will be as long as ever. There'll be no relief. They need to keep the Mustang Trail office open as well. Thanks.''
Tom's right, folks. Road didn't realize that. Nowhere in the press release about the new branch office ground breaking did anyone mention that the Mustang Trail branch would be closing.
Through some phone calls, Road found out that the first and only branch of DMV that has served Virginia Beach residents since 1971, will close its doors once the Hilltop office is open sometime next year.
Good thing they're going to have 16 teller windows. It'll be even nicer if they actually have 16 tellers working at one time.
An observation by Wayne Hay is important to note, too. Wayne called in reference to the left-turn lane they've been installing at the intersection of Shore Drive and Independence Boulevard for the past couple of months.
Wayne wonders what the hold-up is with opening the lane?
Well, it turns out that the answer to the question involves more than just that intersection.
Apparently, engineers are doing signal work at the intersection and decided since they were already out there to go ahead and make dual left-turn lanes from Independence onto northbound Shore Drive. Well, they installed the lane, but it's not open because they have to wait until the new signals are installed. Because those left lanes are dual and will come under a protected left-turn arrow, two signal mast heads are needed; one for each lane. There was a delay while engineers decided where to put the poles.
Anyway, in talking with engineers about this project, Road came upon two other projects that are directly related.
Before the new signals are installed at Shore Drive and Independence, contractors will be installing new signals at the intersection of Whitehurst Landing Road and Providence Road, which should be finished some time in August.
Then, they'll move on to adding a signal at Kentucky Avenue and Virginia Beach Boulevard. These last two projects will be completed before they move back to finishing the Shore Drive signals.
All three projects are good news, especially for those folks who have to fight traffic to get out of the fitness club on Virginia Beach Boulevard. That place has been a mess for a long time.
All three projects are scheduled for completion in September.
Stay tuned for next week's column, where Road takes the ``Coffee Cup Challenge'' presented by local reader Brenda Boldin.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Charles Vaughan, Middle Plantation. My comment is on Route 44 heading east in the afternoon. I sure wish you'd tell the sign guys who control the dots up there that there's no longer any toll road and so having a sign that says, ``no tolls, no stopping'' is kind of senseless.
Why don't they put a great sign up that says, ``construction ahead,'' ``thank you, Gov. Allen,'' ``welcome to Virginia Beach,'' or ``have a nice day.'' Something that would cheer somebody going home in the afternoon, rather than ``no tolls, don't stop.''
RW: The sign is sort of redundant and the folks over at the Traffic Management Systems operations building (TMS for short) are going to take a look at maybe changing the message.
But, you can bet that those signs won't ever be used to emit messages of fluff, like have a nice day.
The variable message signs are there to warn folks about construction or changes in the road conditions ahead. Don't be surprised if you soon see ``construction ahead'' on those signs.
Jerry F., no address given.
In Virginia Beach, going east on Rosehall Drive, as you approach Great Neck Road and come to the stop sign, it's extremely difficult and dangerous to make a left-hand turn. It's because you have to go out in the oncoming traffic to see because of the overgrowth of vegetation on the left-hand side.
Can you see if the people could take care of that?
RW: Sure, Road's happy to pass that on to engineers. They'll send those landscaping folks out to check on the vegetation problem. If it's private property, they'll kindly ask the owners to take care of it. If there's no compliance, the city guys will take care of it and bill the owners.
That's if there's an overgrowth. We'll see.
Michael Derr, Washington Square. My problem is on the interstate. People throwing lit cigarettes out of their automobiles need to realize that they can fly in another's window and burn them, their car, or their passengers.
RW: You're right, Michael.
Smokey Bear doesn't take kindly to this habit, either.
Sue Westbrook, no address given. I just wanted to thank the guy who showed me a new hand signal today while I had four children in the car. This signal isn't in the Virginia Driver's manual, but it's universally accepted, and I did have to explain it to the children.
I just wanted to thank him for that.
RW: Road would have loved to have heard that explanation! Sadly, drivers don't seem to discriminate when it comes to acting like imbeciles, and even more upsetting is the fact they're probably passing these nasty habits onto their own children. 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