Lack of sidewalk at Laskin Gateway forces walkers, cyclists into traffic

IN ITS ROLE AS THE U.S. 58 route to the Oceanfront, Laskin Road historically has been a gateway. Now, with the Laskin Road gateway project, it looks like one.

The Beach's gateway project was intended to be both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Traffic heading to the Rudee Inlet side of the Oceanfront is detoured to 30th Street. Traffic headed to the North End remains in a single, through lane.

In addition to fresh asphalt, there's a boardwalk and gazebo overlooking the marshlands, and landscaping galore.

Health nuts Greg and Therese Belardi bike or walk to the Oceanfront from their home off Laskin Road practically daily. They were excited when they heard about the gateway plans.

"We were really looking forward to it," Therese Belardi said.

But they are now surprised by a seeming omission in engineering plans. At the gateway, where it links to 30th Street, there's a 100-foot stretch without a sidewalk.

The omission is all the more surprising when you consider all the multi-use trail enhancements at the Oceanfront and citywide. And the heavy recreational nature of the Oceanfront/North End.

"What were they thinking?" Greg Belardi said. "They couldn't have been thinking about people on foot or on bicycles."

Pedestrians and bicyclists must walk or pedal in the fast-moving eastbound traffic lanes. Beside them is a newly installed guardrail - needed because of the close proximity of the wetlands.

Project engineer David Jarman said there is enough room to move the guardrail closer to the wetlands and install a sidewalk. But he said there is a utility duct that could be punctured by the guardrail posts.

The second and third phases of the Laskin Road project, which ultimately will create a widened roadway, will also remove the utility obstacles. But those phases have been postponed.

"We are really in an interim phase where we can't necessarily accommodate every single facility the way that we normally would do it," Jarman said.

At least, for now, the Belardis would like to see signs to warn eastbound motorists of the possibility of pedestrians crossing a perilously placed brick-paver sidewalk where Laskin branches off to 30th. The only such pedestrian sign is located at the crosswalk.

I hear the phrase "accident waiting to happen" often. When the Belardis use it to describe this situation, they're right.

Jarman said the city will study the safety issue here and get back to me. I'll let you know what the city comes up with.

Watch out!

Virginia Beach: Lynnhaven Parkway between Riverbend and Magic Hollow will close 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily through Saturday.

Watch list

Twice in the past year, Indian River High School guidance counselor Scott Cohen asked The Warrior about tweaking the stop light where Dunbarton Drive meets Military Highway in Chesapeake.

When school leaves in the afternoon, Cohen said, there's an unforgivably long queue of cars on Dunbarton, leaving Indian River High.

Last year's fix by city traffic engineers, it seems, came undone this spring.

The Warrior reported on the return of the problem, the city said it'd check it out, and Cohen now reports the problem is fixed again.

Remember, one-year warranty on Warrior items.