Police step up interstate patrols
March 12, 2009 by Hersey · Leave a Comment
Commuters driving into and out of the rest of Hampton Roads and the Peninsula should use extra care during the next couple of days, as the Virginia State Police have announced stepped-up enforcement along area interstate highways.
The effort represents the next phase of Operation Air, Land and Speed, whose purpose, according to a VSP press release, is “to save lives by preventing traffic fatalities and reminding drivers to buckle up and slow down through high visibility and strict enforcement.”
This will be the second time the enforcement campaign has targeted I-64, I-264, -464 and I-664 in the Hampton Roads area. A similar effort in July yielded 3,303 violations during a two-day period. According to the state police, there were 1,684 speeders stopped, 298 reckless drivers cited, five impaired drivers arrested and 189 seat belt violations written up. The project also resulted in 21 drug or felony arrests.
Woman accused of forging records to obtain dead boyfriend’s Harley
February 11, 2009 by Hersey · 2 Comments
HAMPTON — - A woman from Hampton falsified records to obtain her dead boyfriend’s Harley Davidson, police say.
Angela Faye Garner, 43, of Bradley Place, was charged with two counts of altering and forging a vehicle registration, one count of forging public records and one count of unlawfully obtaining documents from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) , on Jan. 22, Hampton police spokeswoman Cpl. Allison Good said.
Virginia: Proposal Eliminates Safety Check on Red Light Cameras
January 20, 2009 by Hersey · 2 Comments
Virginia legislative proposal allows cities to use the shortest possible yellow time at red light camera intersections.
A bill introduced last week in the General Assembly quietly seeks to eliminate a significant motorist protection built into Virginia’s existing red light camera law. The proposal of a pair of Democratic state delegates representing Virginia Beach, Joseph F. Bouchard and Robert W. Mathieson, would delete just three words from that statute, but the change would have wide-ranging effects. Under current law,
cities that want to install traffic cameras must first submit a detailed engineering justification to state transportation experts.
Virginia to Consider Per Mile Driving Tax
November 3, 2008 by Hersey · Leave a Comment
Virginia legislature could begin study of per-mile driving taxes in 2009.
A member of the Virginia House of Delegates last week introduced legislation that would create a system to track the driving habits of Virginia motorists, imposing a tax on every mile driven. Delegate David Poisson (D-Loudoun) argues that his measure should be adopted by the legislature’s 2009 session because he believes gas tax revenue is dwindling.
“Inflation and escalating construction costs have severely eroded the purchasing power of fuel-tax revenue,” Poisson said in a statement. “At the same time, tax receipts are dropping as soaring gas prices and a weak economy reduce traffic volume. When people do drive, it is in more fuel-efficient cars, which only makes our revenue problems worse. Clearly, we can’t continue this way.”
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Virginia State Police Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) Event
October 28, 2008 by Hersey · Leave a Comment
Virginia State Police and Roanoke City Police will be conducting a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etching event for automobile and motorcycle owners who would like to have their vehicles protected against theft on Saturday, November 1, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Target parking lot at Valley View Mall in Roanoke.
This free service is part of the Virginia State Police Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) Program. VIN numbers will be permanently etched on the vehicle or motorcycle. Having VIN numbers marked on the vehicles steers thieves away. VIN etching takes away any potential profit thieves may make. VIN etching is simple, fast, safe and won’t mar the look of the vehicle or motorcycle. In addition to the etching, officers will be on hand to educate vehicle and motorcycle owners on how to prevent auto theft in their communities.
Redflex gets back to work in Virginia Beach
October 3, 2008 by Hersey · Leave a Comment
Redflex Traffic Systems has announced the execution of a new open-ended contract with the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The initial phase is for 20 red light enforcement systems at 10 intersections for five years with three one-year renewals. However, there is potential for a
programme build-out of up to 43 intersections.
In 1995 the Virginia State Legislature authorised red light cameras for a 10-year period concluding 1 July, 2005. Commencing in September 2004 through 1 July 2005 and resulting from a successful competitive tender, Redflex and Virginia Beach implemented a highly successful red light camera programme that reduced red light running crashes by 40 per cent at the monitored intersections.
New Virginia Toll Lanes Designed to Create Congestion
July 8, 2008 by Hersey · Leave a Comment
Illegal political contributions helped an Australian firm land a lucrative toll road deal that grants the company unprecedented power over Northern Virginia’s transportation future. Last week, Transurban wrote and asked state lawmakers to return checks that the Melbourne-based toll road operator had written in violation of federal campaign laws. But the deal these contributions helped bring about has already been finalized.
In June, the US Department of Transportation created a first-of-its-kind $1.6 billion financing package that consisted of tax-free bonds, loans and state taxpayer grants to support the project that will add a pair of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes to the Interstate 495 Capital Beltway just outside of Washington, DC. To this amount, Transurban only added $349 million of its own capital — less than the cost of interest — toward the construction of the toll lane.
“Move Over” Law Not Being Followed in Virginia
The law is on the books in 48 states, but 71 percent of Americans are unaware of its existence.
According to law enforcement officers, the need for motorists to be educated about the “move over law” has reached a critical point after four Virginia State Police troopers sustained personal injuries over the past three months from drivers who failed to slow down or change lanes.
Recently on Interstate 81 near Blacksburg when a VSP road officer had to leap into his cruiser and across the driver’s seat in order to avoid being hit by a tractor-trailer. The truck jackknifed after slamming into the trooper’s vehicle.
