DATE: Friday, November 14, 1997             TAG: 9711130250

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: THE ROAD WARRIOR 

SOURCE: Road Warrior 

                                            LENGTH:  107 lines

DMV RELEASES NEW STUDY GUIDE FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSES

Commercial drivers, listen up.

The Department of Motor Vehicles has released a new Commercial Driver's License (CDL) study guide, Virginia Commercial Driver's Manual, to use in preparation for the CDL exam.

Questions for the test also have been revamped to mirror information in the new comprehensive guide.

The new guide features more illustrations and is written for easier understanding.

Most regular drivers have no idea just how much commercial vehicle drivers must know. Let Road tell you, it's plenty.

There are questions on the exam dealing with physics, chemistry, mechanical function and the like.

In fact, in some cases commercial drivers are required to take more than one test. There's the general knowledge test and then tests for special endorsements such as hauling hazardous materials or driving a school bus.

Anyhow, the new books can be picked up at any DMV.

SNARLS OF THE WEEK

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

Bob Weinberg, Holland Pines. I'm calling about intersection of Green Run Boulevard and Holland Road. That turn signal goes on even when there's no cars waiting to make a turn and it lasts long enough to have a cup of coffee. That all started after they repaved that section of the road last summer. Wondering if maybe they could fix that. Thanks.

RW: It's the proverbial bad loop, Bob, which means the intersection is added to the bottom of a very long list of bad loops within the city that need to be fixed. Could be a while, so don't hold your breath.

P.D., Brigadoon. Are we going to have to lose another life at Lynnhaven and Indian River before a ``no right turn on red'' sign is added?

There should be such a sign on the corner of Lynnhaven and Indian River for those vehicles traveling south on Lynnhaven and making a right turn on Indian River heading west. We have called and called about that intersection. It's very dangerous. Thank you very much.

RW: How will a ``no right turn on red'' make that area safer? If it was on a curve or something was in the way and right turners didn't have a clear view it would make sense to restrict right turners. But, fact is, there's nothing restricting the view of those who want to go right on red. Sure, you can expect that one or two morons will make a bad decision and turn when it's not clear or what-have-you but, otherwise, the logistics of the intersection do not call for such a sign.

Lois Sherban, Admiration Drive. I use Edwin Drive all the time. Three cheers for you, Road, for getting the left turn signal on Edwin at Princess Anne. I love it.

RW: Don't thank Road, Lois. You can thank engineers for that one. Ultimately it was their decision.

Dorothy, no address given.

It is very dark from Providence Road to Edwin Drive at night. It is pitch-black. I would like to have a street light put up on the Edwin Drive side. Thank you.

RW: Actually, Dorothy, Edwin Drive already has lights through the neighborhood there. Albeit there probably aren't many but should be enough to provide sufficient light. As for Providence at Edwin, there's a traffic signal there that should help you out some. Road'll talk to engineers and see what their standards are for lighting.

Donna Line Smith, no address given. I commute from Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore each day to work and would like to know why we don't have commuter passes to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel? Thank you.

RW: Road checked with bridge-tunnel officials and they confirmed what you say, Donna. There are no special discounted commuter rate passes available.

The reason, they say, is that with the cost of the project they've got going (the widening of the span from two to four lanes) and their other financial requirements they can't afford to offer discounts. And, as of this writing, there are no plans to do so.

The tunnel folks do sell ticket books at full price. For instance, 23 tickets would be $230. Incidentally, that's the smallest ticket book they offer. Sorry.

Larry Ramos, Lynnhaven Woods. This is about London Bridge from Shipps Corner to the back gate of Oceana. When they closed that up for just local traffic only wouldn't it have made sense to make it right turn coming out of Oceana onto London Bridge Road? That would alleviate a lot of traffic going up Dam Neck.

Seems like that would be a good idea. What do you think about it, Road? Bye.

RW: Actually, Larry, that's how it was set up until the design was changed. Now traffic is rerouted out to Dam Neck where engineers want it to be. Dam Neck Road is now, and will remain, the main thoroughfare for getting to the Shipps Corner area.

Vermillion, no address given. I live near a church and they hire these off-duty police officers to direct traffic. In each case they give the church and a nearby business priority over getting out and getting through lights and stuff and keep everybody else waiting. Did they get authority from the Police Department to direct that traffic? Or, is it just that because somebody can afford to pay, I can be inconvenienced 15 to 20 minutes instead of doing an equal share of like five cars to five cars.

Who can you complain to when they hold up traffic?

RW: You can complain to the church or business but, those officers are trained in traffic control and are in their legal rights as officers to hire themselves out to control traffic. Maybe the thinking is that if he lets all the cars from the church go, then he's out of there and regular traffic is moving.

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