Laskin at Arctic gets new light signal

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Friday, after months of reports, the City of Virginia Beach has listened to WAVY TV 10 viewers. The city took down the stop signs on Laskin Road at Arctic Avenue at the Oceanfront.

The signs were located on Laskin Road, where there is heavy traffic, and not on Arctic Avenue where there is hardly any traffic at all.

A temporary traffic signal will begin operation on Feb. 13. It will replace the stop signs on Laskin Road and will remain until Phase IV of the project is completed in June 2013.

The city installed the new traffic light as a compromise. When the light is green, motorists on Laskin Road have the right of way.

Back in Jan., a driver on Laskin Road t-boned a car traveling on Arctic Avenue. This and other accidents in the area got the city thinking something might be wrong at the intersection.

Franklin Hickman, with Virginia Beach's Traffic Management Operation, said, "Because of accidents, I assume that [there] was something in that particular case that we were asked to put it up."

Police report six crashes since June at the intersection.

"I've seen 14 wrecks," said Kim Donovan, who works in a business at corner of Laskin and Arctic. Donovan thinks the number  reported by police is too low.

Traffic Engineer Bob Gey, who would not do an on camera interview, conducted a field review of the intersection after our Jan. report. Gey observed a problem with visibility, some of which was caused by delivery trucks. The visibility issue, in turn, caused backups in the area.  Gey's report found that the stop signs did not cause the back ups on Laskin Road.

Gey also said drivers on Laskin Road expected the drivers on Arctic Avenue to stop, proving that Arctic Avenue traffic would benefit from the installation of a stop sign. 

WAVY.com asked Hickman whether he thought the new stop light will make the intersection safer.

"I think so...people obey the traffic signals. I know there was an issue with stop signs, so that should take all this out of play," Hickman answered.

Donovan thinks 10 On Your Side's reports alerted the city to what was going on out there.

"...I don't know who could get as much attention that there are a lot of wrecks out here, so yes the reports helped," Donovan said.

Gey's report went on to state that anytime traffic control is changed, there is a learning curve for drivers.

If that's the case, putting the stop signs on the less traveled Arctic Avenue means fewer drivers will need to meet that learning curve.