Street Beat for Oct. 25

Q:I am looking for potholes in the West Broad Street area.

Why? Because I have a car that has a major problem with the transmission. The "slipping indicator" comes on whenever I hit bumps in the road. I need to find a good bump or pothole so that I can get the service technicians to do a ride-along and experience the slipping. I have been unable to locate such a spot. Where's a good pothole when you really need one? -- Betty D.

Answer: I've had a lot of requests about potholes, but this is a first.

I e-mailed you back suggesting that you try this with a speed bump. Your reply indicates that it didn't do the trick.

So I'm running your question to enlist the help of Street Beat readers. If you know of a good -- or bad -- pothole in the West Broad Street area, let me know.

And once Betty has a chance to put it to good use, I'll ask the proper authorities to patch it up. Two birds, one stone.

. . .

Answer: Glad to help. The most important thing to remember is that passengers younger than 16 must use seat belts or age-appropriate child restraints no matter where they are sitting.

Tom Lambert of the state police said you should ensure that any child seat is properly secured and complies with all recommendations on how it should be mounted. He also notes that you should comply with the car manufacturer's recommendation on air bags, which can injure small children.

Virginia law states that rear-facing child-restraint devices should be placed in the back seat. "In the event the vehicle does not have a back seat, the child-restraint device may be placed in the front passenger seat only if the vehicle is either not equipped with a passenger-side air bag or the passenger-side air bag has been deactivated."

Airport Connector construction update:

The Airport Connector bridge over state Route 895 (the Pocahontas Parkway) is expected to be substantially completed in the spring of 2011.

"The 1.6-mile Airport Connector will link Pocahontas 895 to Charles City Road and Airport Drive to lead directly into the heart of the airport," said Transurban Group, the toll-road investors group that is overseeing construction. "The new road will allow airport travelers to bypass four sets of traffic lights and a rail crossing."

The work is being done along Route 895 between the New Market Road/Laburnum Avenue exit and the ramps to Interstate 295, through to the industrial park at the end of Seven Hills Boulevard, and continuing on to the back entrance to the airport at Charles City Road.

Lane closures won't be necessary during construction, said Rich Prezioso Jr., project manager for Transurban. However, flaggers might be present to direct drivers around construction equipment.

"The speed limit is 55 mph within this work area," Transurban said.

Do you have a question for Street Beat? Contact Patrick Owens at or (804) 649-6802. Follow him at http://twitter.com/RTDStreetBeat