DATE: Friday, October 24, 1997              TAG: 9710230289

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: THE ROAD WARRIOR 

SOURCE: Road Warrior 

                                            LENGTH:   98 lines

NEIGHBORS ARE HAPPY WITH RESULTS OF NORFOLK'S SPEED HUMP PROGRAM

Last week Road explored the idea of Beach engineers using speed bumps as a way to discourage neighborhood speeders.

Road found that engineers weren't crazy about the idea of controlling drivers' behavior by way of speed bumps.

Norfolk, however, recently instituted a program where a neighborhood can petition the city for what's called a speed ``hump.'' (There is more width to a hump than a bump, which means it's more comfortable to drive over.)

The program began this year and essentially offers residents the opportunity to take back control of their congested neighborhood streets by having speed humps installed.

The program works this way: Residents of a neighborhood must get 75 percent of their neighbors to sign a petition saying they want a hump. The petition is then forwarded to the city. The Public Works Department comes out and does a traffic study of the area and double-checks to be sure the majority of the residents want it.

Once the area meets the criteria, including the petition and traffic volume study, a hump can be installed.

One hump has already been installed on Heutte Drive, a road that runs between Azalea Garden Road and Shore Drive.

``The public reaction to implementation was welcomed overwhelmingly,'' said Charles Hartig, in public relations with the city.

Public Works employees have gone back out to study the area and have found that the number of vehicles on the road has decreased, Hartig added.

The hump cost $3,000.

You have to have some respect for a city that faces the problems of its neighborhoods head-on and, at least, offers a possible solution.

SNARLS OF THE WEEK

The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.

Sagree, no address given. I have a request to have the stop sign at the corner of Opal and Southern Boulevard put back up. The sign was knocked over at some point and never got put back up. It's on the east side of intersection. That's a really bad corner and that sign needs to be there. Can you get them to look that over and check it out.

RW: Will pass that on to engineers. Could take a month or so before they come out to put it back up.

Dan Wycoff, Flobert Drive. My problem is the light at Flobert Drive and Providence Road. They disabled the sensors several months back and it's a little ridiculous to have to sit there early in the morning, through a whole light cycle, with no traffic coming. I called once before to see if anybody could take care of this problem and so far it hasn't been taken care of. Can you look into that problem for me? It sure would be appreciated. Thank you.

RW: They disabled the sensors?

Road will check to see if it's on the ``Bad Loop List.'' In fact, Road may try and get a copy of that list and run it. That is, if there's enough newsprint to do so.

Kathy Gardner, Colony Acres. I have a problem. Patrons who come out of the Edu Care don't stop at the stop sign. Whose responsibility is it to tell the patrons to stop at that stop sign so that kids won't get hit when they cross the street or anybody else who crosses that intersection?

RW: Stop sign where, Kathy? On Colony Drive? On London Bridge Road? Road'll need more information to address the problem.

Harold Armstrong, Virginia Beach. I'm calling to add to what Mr. Beard of Kings Grant wrote about the left turn off Virginia Beach Boulevard onto Little Neck Road and the U-turners.

Mr. Beard is correct (about the U-turners holding everyone up). I use that street all the time and it's a dangerous situation. I think what would solve the problem there is a ``no right turn on red'' sign on Little Neck.

The problem is people making a U-turn from the Boulevard shoot from the left lane all the way over to the right lane and they cut off anybody who is trying to turn right. No right turn on red would solve the problem and help out everybody because people do need to make a U-turn there to get over to the businesses on that side of the street but they're cutting off right-turning traffic. I've almost been hit there myself.

Thank you.

RW: Road likes somebody who can add perspective to a situation and especially someone who offers up a possible solution. Road will run this idea by engineers.

Regina Tilhou, no address given. There was an accident at Donna Drive and Nevan Road where the Kmart is on First Colonial Road. There was another accident yesterday and there's probably two or three more a month. They need to do something about that intersection. It is a nightmare.

RW: Road's looking at the intersection's layout and there's no obvious problem. Are these accidents left turners from Donna onto First Colonial? That's about the only thing Road could see. Donna Drive, on both sides, has only a permissive left turning phase. That means that anyone hanging a left in either direction on Donna must yield to oncoming traffic.

If that is the accident problem that's driver behavior, inattention or not knowing how to yield. Or, are you saying that Donna Drive traffic is so heavy there needs to be both a permissive and protected (green arrow) left turning phase?

Mike, no address given. The light at Pleasure House Road and Northampton seems to have a bad loop. The turning lane on Northampton stays green until the straight Northampton traffic triggers the signal. Looking in the mirror, it takes about 10 seconds before the turning lane turns green again.

In the afternoon it seems to be OK. I'd appreciate any help you can give. Thanks.

RW: Another bad loop list candidate. Road'll check.

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