THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 20, 1995 TAG: 9510190158
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
Tomorrow is the the ``Great State Trash-Off.'' Thousands of folks will be out cleaning up trash from roads, lakes, bike paths and the like. You name it and someone's bound to be cleaning it.
The day has been so designated by the Virginia Department of Transportation in celebration of the seventh anniversary of its Adopt-A-Highway program.
Through the years, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers have donated more than $6.3 million worth of litter control services to the state. No telling just how much trash that amounts to.
There are about 6,200 groups, including families and businesses, that have adopted a highway of their very own. And, it's never too late to join. VDOT provides the trash bags, orange vests, safety information and a sign with the group's name on it.
VDOT hopes that everyone will see fit to participate. Even cleaning your own yard counts.
To err is human, to admit it is difficult.
Road made a mistake last week.
Road's column about the number of police officers available to serve in our fair city contained an error. Road quoted Lou Thurston, a Police Department spokesman assaying that there were 1.5 cops for 10,000 people. The real number is 1.5 cops per 1,000 people. Road somehow threw in an extra ``0.''
It's always important to set the record straight. And to 'fess up when you've made a mistake. Even though it really is only the second mistake Road ever made. You don't want to hear about the first.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
A.R., no address given. There's a brand new stop light at the corner of SHORE DRIVE and INDEPENDENCE going into the Navy base.
Going down Independence to make a left turn on Shore Drive there are two arrow signs but also there is one arrow that goes straight down on that same signal board.
Will you please tell me what that straight down arrow means? I've never seen one before. Thank you very much.
RW: The sign works this way, there are two arrows to designate the dual left turn lanes. The arrow that's pointing down is telling you which lane you can make what maneuver in. In this case, the down arrow indicates that you can only make a U-turn in the far left lane and not in the outside lane.
Jeff Rabenda, Bayside. On the Lynnhaven River, there used to be a sign under the LESNER BRIDGE with the Grim Reaper on it saying how many people have drowned. It listed a bunch of names and then it said, ``next please.'' They had to take it down because it offended so many people.
Maybe they should put that on Shore Drive. It must have been effective if they had to take it down.
RW: Actually, there are already two signs on Shore Drive. One is heading west near 83rd Street and then another is somewhere around the Great Neck area, warning people to be careful and not to drink and drive.
As for the Lesner Bridge sign, Road can't find a soul who knows what happened to it or why it was removed. Maybe someone wanted a souvenir?
Anyone got any inside information on the disappearance of the Grim Reaper?
Joe Gurney, no address given. I was driving on VIRGINIA BEACH BOULEVARD and got every traffic light from Independence all the way up to Newtown Road.
What happened to the $1 million computer system that we're supposed to have controlling the lights properly on the Boulevard?
RW: Oh, you mean that $1 million system that's about 10 years old?
Actually, in the evening hours there is no set coordination on the Boulevard anywhere.
The coordination is during the day and it favors the westbound direction in the morning hours and the eastbound direction in the afternoon and evening hours. Unfortunately, the system isn't set up to favor both directions at all times of the day and night.
The following wrote to Road:
M. Renita Meissner, no address given. What's with the little reflectors on the lines in the road? On CONSTITUTION north of Virginia Beach Boulevard where they just repaved, they are flattened out. On Independence they don't mark the lanes. I think they are old ones so they go down the middle of a lane instead of between two lanes. It's hazardous at night. This is between Jeanne Street and Pembroke Boulevard.
RW: The thin little metal reflectors are only temporary markers set out to help folks distinguish between lanes when construction's going on.
They do flatten down after they're driven on, but that's no big deal because they're only a temporary measure.
As for Constitution, the lanes are marked and the temporary markers should be removed soon. And, as we all know, Independence is still a mess and in need of even more of those little markings at this point.
The plans are to scrape those off too once the construction is finished.
D. Wade, no address given. This is my first time writing to a newspaper, but I can't stand what I'm seeing anymore and am asking you for help.
The problem is LASKIN ROAD, from the light at the Beach Pub all the way through the Hilltop area. The road is so extremely dark that you cannot see the median or the side of the road (especially on a rainy night).
Where I work, I can see Laskin Road and every other night people bust their tires on the median and come into my business to call for help.
Why doesn't the city paint bright yellow lines on the medians? My boss has reported the problem already a few months ago but it continues.
Please help us road blind night travelers.
RW: A couple of questions, here. First, you say median do you mean an actual piece of concrete that rises and juts out in the middle of the road, or are we talking median as in grass?
As for marking the sides of the road, the lines have probably just worn off and it's time for a new coat of paint.
Call me back and let me know which type of median we're talking about and exactly which median seems to be getting hit the most and Road'll be happy to call the complaint in to the city's Operations Department.
As for repainting the lines, the department is short of manpower and way behind in the scheduled repainting of a lot of roads. So, even once it's reported, it could be a while before you guys out on Laskin Road can see again. 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