The Hampton Roads Cyclist

Update on Kellam High School

On July 4th I posted an article about concerns over bike and pedestrian connectivity with the planned replacement for Kellam High School in Virginia Beach. During a meeting this week with city and school officials I learned that some of these shortcomings were already being addressed, and others were not as significant as previously thought. I am happy to report that the city and the school administrations committment toward affording students and staff the opportunity to walk or bike to the new site is strong, and that the lessons learned from the existing high school site will not be repeated.

New High School Lacks Bike-Ped

It’s hard to believe in an era of overwhelming public support for bicycling and walking that Virginia Beach plans to build a new high school with no significant accommodations beyond the site itself. According to city and school officials, the replacement Kellam High School will be located on West Neck Rd near the intersection of North Landing. At the present time there are no plans to extend paths, sidewalks or bikelanes to nearby subdivisions.

A substantial number of homes are within a 2 mile (15 minute) bike ride.

The existing school was likewise located on what used to be a remote stretch of largely rural roadway. Over time development around the school increased but bike-ped accomodations were never upgraded. It is likely the same pattern will repeat itself at the new site.

2,000+ students and faculty will use the new school, with the only transportation choice for getting there being motorized.

New Data Show Bicycling & Walking Up 25%

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Contact:  FHWA Public Affairs
Tel:  202-366-0660 

New Data Show Bicycling and Walking Up by 25 Percent
Report Looks at Efforts to Increase Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today released new data from the Federal Highway Administration’s 2009 National Household Travel Survey which shows that both bicycling and walking trips have increased by 25 percent since 2001.  The FHWA funded Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center included this data in The National Bicycling and Walking Study: A 15-Year Status Report.  The report details trends and changes in bicycling and walking since 1994.

“This report demonstrates what we’ve been saying here at the Department,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.   “Americans want and need safe alternatives to driving. And by making biking and walking safer and more accessible, we’ll be able to provide Americans with more choices and help foster more active, livable communities.” 

READ MORE

Virginia Beach Lowers Shore Drive Speed Limit

The city of Virginia Beach announced today that the speed limit on Shore Drive would be lowered from 45 to 35 mph between Pleasure House Rd and N. Great Neck Rd. See the Virginian Pilot for a full report on tonight’s council action.

Lowering the speed limit will help in at least two ways: 1) it will give all users of Shore Drive a little bit of extra time to see and safely respond to each other, and 2) when something does go wrong the chances of a fatal outcome will be reduced (see motor vehicle fatality rates).

After several decades of motorist, bicyclist, and pedestrian deaths this action has been a long time coming. Though a number of factors have been cited including alcohol, the fundamental problem has been in trying to maintain a speedway with average vehicle speeds of 52 mph in a predominantly beach resort and residential unit area.

In past years the city took steps to reduce the number of fatal single car drive offs at the eastern end of the highway. The removal of trees, shoulder improvements, and rumble strips have been largely effective in reducing fatalites. Given the number of drivers who were intoxicated and traveling at speeds exceeding 90 mph late at night, this response drew substantial public criticism from the “deserve to die” believers. By lowering the speed limit and other physical improvements a similar buffer is hoped for pedestrians and cyclists.

There is still work to done with necessary physical improvements such as lighting and crosswalks. Hopefully safety assessments will continue to identify where near term improvements can be made. Long term improvements such as sidewalks, pedestrian friendly intersections, replacing the Lesner Bridge, addition of a multi-use path, and wide curb lanes or bike lanes are also needed for the community to realize the most gains in terms of safety.

Many thanks to the Virginia Beach City Council, including Vice Mayor Louis Jones and Jim Wood for taking a stand in favor of a safer, more liveable city. And kudos to the Shore Drive Community Coalition for their dedicated efforts on behalf of their residents and all users of Shore Drive.

Cyclists Don’t Pay Taxes?

A common myth is that cyclists don’t pay taxes to support the public roadway system. The implication is that we have no right to use it.  The facts do not support this assertion.

Highway costs are increasingly being paid from sources other than user fees such as the gasoline tax and motor vehicle license fee.  In Virginia, these non-user fees include 1/2 percent of the general sales tax, grantors tax,  and other sources. 

It seems that motorized transportation is getting a pretty substantial subsidy, especially when you add in free or reduced rate garage or surface parking that many localities provide, the costs for police, fire, and EMS support and many other services needed to support the current roadway infrastructure. Many of these services are funded through state and local revenue sources that we all pay.

The following report shows user fees currently support only about 51% of roadway funding, a percentage that has been in steady decline for four decades. The differences are made up by taxes and fees everyone pays, whether they drive or not:

http://subsidyscope.com/transportation/highways/funding/

Shore Drive Safety- One Resident’s Perspective

The following letter is reprinted with permission of the author.

–hrcyclist

April 25, 2010

Re: Death by Car on Shore Drive

To All It May Concern:

            I have been thinking of writing on this subject for some time. As a result of Kerry Dougherty’s column in The Virginian-Pilot, “AS SHORE SHOWS, BOOZE CAN TURN ANY ROADWAY INTO A DEAD END,” the time has come for me to say my piece.

            In said column dated 4/24/10, Ms. Dougherty attributes the fickle-finger-of fate in the recent death of a young woman, Ms. Whitney Lynne Hulce, as being the result her use alcohol, mixed with poor city planning, mixed with commercial properties, mixed with time-of-day, mixed with speed limits. Indeed, I concur that this does have the makings for a cocktail known as “Death by Vehicle on Shore Drive.” But I also believe that too much emphasis is being placed on the alcohol consumer and none on the fact that in the State of Virginia, (of which Shore Drive is located),  “Pedestrians have the right of way.” (And, I don’t believe there is any reference in the law qualifying it as to one’s blood alcohol level.)

            I have lived off Shore Drive in the neighborhood of Baylake Pines for most of my life– since 1955. This neighborhood is situate on the north side of Shore Drive approximately 1/4 mile east from the “gateway” off-ramp at Northampton Blvd. READ MORE

How Some Tourists Travel to Va Beach

Traveling to Cape Henry to visit the light houses and monuments.

 (May 16th) Not everyone traveling to Va Beach does so by car. Led by TCC Engineering professor Paul Gordy, 8 cyclists from Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Maine travel along Shore Drive in Virginia Beach on the last leg of a 1000 mile trip around the Chesapeake Bay. After lunch at Chick’s Oyster Bar, the group heads for the light houses and historical markers at Cape Henry and Ft. Story.

White House Report On Childhood Obesity

“Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation” is a sobering report to say the least. It chronicles a laundry list of factors contributing to the increase in overweight and obese kids, and provides a number of recommendations for turning the epidemic around. Among the recommendations is 5.8, which supports active transportation such as walking and bicycling. 

With continued inaction, we may actually see a decline in expected lifespans for coming generations of children. Health care costs will increase and quality of life will decrease. 

Please take a moment to read the report and take action. For a related treatise, see the CDC Transportation Recommendations or use the link to the right. 

Childhood Obesity Since 1972

How Kids Get to School, 2009

Fort Story Closes to Non-Military Cyclists

Reports from a number of area cyclists in recent weeks indicates that Ft. Story is now off-limits to unescorted civilians. An official announcement has not yet been made, but it appears that active duty military and military retirees are not affected.

For many years the base has been a gracious host to nearby civilian residents, touring cyclists and others who bike, walk and run. Some were just seeking an alternative route instead of bicycling the 55 mph stretch of Shore Drive along the base’s southern edge with Virginia Beach. Others enjoyed the sanctuary provided by the base’s nearly traffic free roads and natural coastal scenery.

Ownership of the base shifted from the Army to the Navy about two years ago as a result of the Base Realignment Commission (BRAC) process. Along the way new missions have also been added, making an open base policy increasingly difficult to support. The closure is expected to add pressure on First Landing State Park and the Shore Drive Corridor as cyclists use those areas instead.

Norfolk Brambleton Ave Bike-Ped Underpass to Reopen

A briefing given to Norfolk City Council indicates that the Brambleton Ave bike-ped underpass along The Hague will be restored and reopened during the next few months. As reported by HrCyclist in Sep. 2009 ( Norfolk Loses Bike-Ped Underpass ), light rail construction closed the underpass. At the time, there were no imminent plans to reopen it. A number of bike, running and walking groups, civic leagues and residents asked the city and HRT to reconsider, which it did.

Congrats to Norfolk residents who contacted the city to show their support, and many thanks to city staff, council members and HRT for listening and working out a plan to restore the path. Go Norfolk!

City Council Briefing on the Brambleton Ave Bike-ped Underpass