Street Beat for Sept. 13
Q:We have a situation at Forest Hill Avenue and Melbourne Drive. Waiting to enter Forest Hill is not for the faint of heart. The main problem is the visibility to the west. On your left is a Masonic lodge. Next to this is a McDonald's restaurant and a shopping-center entrance. There are a lot of shrubs blocking the view. No one seems to see it as a traffic hazard. My neighbors and I feel like it is just an accident waiting to happen. -- Henry H.
Answer: I wonder if accidents ever get tired of waiting. I know I do. I get into the shortest line at McDonald's, and it always turns out that one person ahead of me will peruse the menu from top to bottom, place an order big enough to feed Goochland County and then pay for it with nickels.
I mentioned the problem to the city. (The visibility problem, not the people at McDonald's.) Sharon North of the Department of Public Works said that because this is a safety issue, the department will "minimally prune the shrubs."
Let me know if this solves the problem. If not, I will contact the city's Department of Community Development.
. . .
Q:On the Boulevard Bridge, why are the ropes going off the bridge apparently anchoring something after being fastened at various spots to the raised sides or railings. The joke is they're holding up the bridge! -- TASAnswer: That reminds me of the classic newspaper headline: Red tape holds up bridge.
I asked Linda McElroy of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority about this. She said contractors are completing scheduled maintenance underneath the bridge. The ropes are holding the scaffolding on which the workers are working.
. . .
Q:There has been a large orange sign warning of work ahead in the 500 block of West Clay Street for a year. The work at Belvidere and Clay is long since finished. Can you get this eyesore out of the neighborhood for us? -- Karen N.Answer: I'd be glad to.
I mentioned the sign to the city's Public Works Department, and I have been told that it now is gone.
. . .
Q:I was so thrilled when Patterson and Grove avenues were repaved. The drawback is now there are no vehicle sensors at any of the lights. The worst offender is the intersection of Patterson and Three Chopt Road. I've had to sit at that intersection for almost five minutes at midnight waiting for all the signal cycles to run through. I used to go down Grove because it was quicker. If you approached the intersection of Grove and Libbie avenues, the light immediately changed. Now that it has been repaved, you have to sit and wait. Oh, and the sensors were never installed at Maple and Patterson avenues.Answer: Jemila M. Woodson of the Department of Public Works told me that the city plans to replace vehicle-detection sensors. "This work will be scheduled and performed once a new contractor and contract is approved."
Do you have a question for Street Beat? Contact Patrick Owens at
or (804) 649-6802. Follow him at http://twitter.com/RTDStreetBeat
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