THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606130161
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THE ROAD WARRIOR
LENGTH: 105 lines
Road was out last weekend doing the community service thing with Concerned Citizens Advocating Traffic Safety (CCATS) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
I and a dozen other folks manned the combined CCATS and MADD booth Harborfest weekend.
You may have seen us out there. The booth was appropriately situated right near the beer tent in front of the boat dock next to Waterside. The effort was to get people to sign up to be designated drivers, which about 343 did.
The groups will be signing up more designated drivers during the Save the Bay Day on July 8 and the Neptune Festival in September.
The program works like this: If you're 21 and older and are driving friends or family members who are drinking, you are eligible for free soft drinks from the CCATS booth.
There are rules, though. First, you must have a drinker with you as proof and you must be 21. After signing a pledge saying you will be the designated driver, you're given a card that entitles you to a specific number of free sodas per day. During Harborfest, the choices were root beer and a non-alcoholic beer.
Aside from signing up designated drivers, the booth is also outfitted with tons of pamphlets with topics such as installing child safety seats, wearing a helmet, bicycle riding and rules and a host of other things. The pamphlets, as well as some freebies, like pens and pencils, are anyone's for the taking.
So, at the next major festival, keep your eyes open. Concerned Citizens Advocating Traffic Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving will be there.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Andy Young, no address given. There's a new shop at the corner of LAUREL LANE and FIRST COLONIAL ROAD and there's a ``no parking'' zone beside it but people park there anyway.
If you're making a left turn from southbound First Colonial to eastbound on Laurel Lane, you're just stuck there until the light changes. See what you can do with that. Thanks.
RW: If folks are ignoring the signs that are out there you can bet new signs won't do diddly to help the situation. Sounds like a matter of police enforcement. Our only real hope of enforcement will come if a police officer reads the column. You out there, Bubba?
Francis, Little Neck. In response to Maggie, the woman who wrote about the lane switching at VIRGINIA BEACH BOULEVARD and ROSEMONT ROAD. She has to be given a blue ribbon. She hits it on the head. There are no lane markers taking a left from Virginia Beach Boulevard turning onto Rosemont. People, just like sheep, have to be herded. Traffic counts have nothing to do with that. You think something can be done about that area?
I'd be more than willing to go out with a can of paint and do it myself in order to save lives.
RW: Road hates to encourage folks to take matters into their own hands. The city folks are aware of what the problems are and are working to either fix them or come up with more or better solutions.
Debra Lee, Alexandria. I'm wondering what the numbers were on the traffic count you mentioned on DUNN LORING when you're trying to get out on KEMPSVILLE ROAD?
And, this question is about LYNNHAVEN PARKWAY and CENTERVILLE TURNPIKE.
What's going to happen to the little ball field that's out there after they put Lynnhaven through to Centerville in 1998?
RW: The previous count you speak of, Debra, was way below what's needed to get a traffic signal.
In this area, taking a left from Dunn Loring onto Kempsville Road, there would have had to be 53 cars an hour making a left turn over an eight-hour period.
At its peak, the left turners only numbered 36 an hour.
As for the ball field near the end of proposed Lynnhaven Parkway, if engineers can't go around it, they'll plow through it. Unless, that is, the other neighborhood folks want to keep it and rally together to do so. Anything's possible.
Chuck Wray, Chartwell Drive. This regards the WITCHDUCK and PRINCESS ANNE roads intersection. If you look at a map, INDIAN LAKES BOULEVARD is completed to PROVIDENCE ROAD. If they complete CHURCHILL DRIVE all the way through to BAXTER you'd have a divided four-lane road all the way from INDEPENDENCE to INDIAN RIVER ROAD. That would alleviate all that traffic on KEMPSVILLE. Have a good day, bye.
RW: Get rid of the map, Chuck. It's easy to open the map and draw straight lines from here to there but you have to realize that in between are people living in houses and running businesses who probably wouldn't be too fond of your straight-line approach. Sure, it's obvious what could go where but the unseen things are the obstacles to getting there.
Gino Bortoluzzi, no address given. Heading south on ATLANTIC AVENUE from SHORE DRIVE. At 47th STREET, the road, which has two lanes in each direction, narrows into one lane in each direction due to the construction. However, the sign posted southbound shows that the right hand lane merges into the left, when in fact the left hand lane merges into the right.
Perhaps somebody's turned that sign upside down. Thank you.
RW: Yeah, Gino, sounds like someone's flipped the signs. Engineers will pass that on pronto. Thanks!
Leigh, Charlestowne Lakes. My problem is KEMPSVILLE ROAD between CENTERVILLE TURNPIKE and VOLVO PARKWAY. Ever since last winter's damage to the road it been riddled with holes. Chesapeake's done its share of work up to the Chesapeake/Virginia Beach line but Virginia Beach hasn't done its work. I was just wondering if they're ever going to repair it? Thank you.
RW: This winter was a tough one on our streets, no doubt about it. The road's on the regular maintenance schedule but you have to remember that there are a zillion other streets in the same condition - if not worse - that also need fixing. Patience, patience. 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