VIRGINIA BEACH
Motorists traveling on Shore Drive between North Great Neck Road and the entrance to First Landing State Park will have to slow down in August when the speed limit drops from 45 mph to 35 mph.
The change will take place Aug. 3, but signs alerting motorists to the change will be in place beginning Wednesday, according to a news release from the city of Virginia Beach.
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the recipe for tragedy
was the last comment on my post.
Not the problem
The 45 MPH speed limit on Shore Drive is not the problem. There are MANY problems that need to be fixed before the road is save for cars and pedestrians. 1. If the 45MPH speed limit were enforced, life would be better. As it is, how is a speed reduction going to effect those that do 65 between lights? Not at all. 2. Any cross over that has no turn lanes should be No Left Turn from all directions. This would eliminate people with their tails hung out in traffic, people darting across traffic, and people stopping in a traffic lane. 3. 2 TURN LANES AT GREAT NECK. 80% of the traffic on Shore Drive is funneling into one turn lane at Great Neck and this causes backups and last minute cut ins. 4. Sidewalks. What a concept on what the city calls a "residential boulevard." 5. Either put in a roomy bike lane beside traffic, or ticket bike riders who aren't using the expensive bike trail our taxes paid for. 6. Beach crosswalks with flashing lights, similar to the ones around Wards Corner in Norfolk. Ticket pedestrians who don't use them. Ticket drivers who ignore them.
People driving on Shore Drive have to deal with all of these distractions. Add a cyclist during rush hour and you have
shore drive
Am I missing something or are we just talking about a 1 mile stretch? From Great Neck rd to the entrance of Sea Shore is only about a mile away. This area is used by homeowners on foot traveling to the beach. I dont see how this can impact anyone but perhaps families crossing the road. Oh, and by the way,where the speed limit is 55 I think you would be crazy to be on a bicycle.
This is long overdue
I believe that lower the speed limit on Shore Drive is long overdue. That area is well populated with walkers and cyclist. However, much of the problem is that there are few places for people to ride bikes safely in this area.
On that section of Shore Drive . . .
On that section of Shore Drive it makes sense to drop the speed limit. There are homes on both sides of the road and people walking and riding bikes do cross it regularly in that section. Pedestrian safety where there are homes has to be taken into consideration, and since we know Virginia Beach is against installing pedestrian overpasses anywhere, the only alternative is to slow down traffic so people have a better chance at crossing the road safely. Further up past the park entrances is another situation altogether. That area shouldn't be changed because the main traffic is motorized vehicles with no homes on either side.
this is the only comment so far that makes sense
This comment presents the facts - that both sides of the road are fronted with residences and it makes sense to have a 35 mph limit. Who among the readers wants cars going 45+ in their front yard? It is such a short stretch that it should not impact the flow of traffic one iota.
Re: The new 35mph speed limit on Shore Drive
If the cyclists that complained got their way, then those opposed to the new lower speed limit need to hold a rally and/or at least get a petition going to repeal this outrageous new lower speed limit. Yes, I am a driver and I respect those cyclists who actually obey the law, yet on a few occasions, I have seen a few cyclists break the law and I find it hypocritical that they want to reduce the speed limit. I have seen countless cyclists at the Oceanfront on their big Beach Cruisers flaunt the law as if they own the place, numerous times. Granted, the ocean front is not Shore Drive, but you get the idea. I have seen them weave in out of traffic on Atlantic Ave., run red lights and even talk on the cell phone while trying to manuever across four lanes of Pacific Ave. They act like they don't even care! Someone please start a petition! I am sorry for the loss of the two cyclists, but lowering the speed limit on Shore Drive instead of building bike lanes seems like someone took the easy way out and pandered to the cyclists. Yes, Shore Drive is a dangerous road and some motorists don't play fair, but why punish the majority of drivers who give way to bikers. Share the road! Be attentiv
Not cyclists
Beach cruisers and Road cyclists are not the same. Road cyclists are in traffic all the time, beach cruisers should not be; hence the name.
Outlaw bikes
This is stupid. They should outlaw bikes on Shore Dr. There is a bike path thru the park that they could use just as well.
That's a sensible idea
at least as sensible as outlawing cars on SD since there are alternate routes that cars could use as well.