Read & view story at WTKR.com.
The attack happened in Nov. of 2013. Jessica Biersack had been out drinking with friends at Bayside Bar & Grill. Eventually, she decided to leave for the night.
“I have a friend that lives up the road, so I walked through the parking lot alone, and apparently he had followed me,” Biersack told NewsChannel 3, “The next thing I remember, I woke up naked behind a shed. My jaw was broken and I was missing a tooth.”
Read entire statement at VBGov.com.
Many property owners along Chesapeake Beach agree that the public has long-standing rights to use the beach across their properties. Some, however, dispute the public’s right to use and the city’s right to maintain the beach. They contend the beach is private.
February 28th 2015 update:
Is anybody ready for spring? The Lesner Bridge project team is!
The recent spate of snow, ice, and cold has had a negative impact on the project schedule which we hope to make up once the weather warms up. This doesn’t mean that that all work has stopped though.
The dredging of Crab Creek and the area in front of the temporary wharf at the Lynnhaven Dredge Material Storage Site (LDMSS) continues today, but will be complete by tomorrow, 2/28/2015.
Ø Construction of the retaining wall along the entire length of the new eastern bridge approach (former Duck Inn property) continues and is about 50% complete;
Ø The foundation for the new traffic signal pole at located at the corner of Page Avenue and Shore drive was installed;
Ø Pier column #1 for the new WB bridge has been completed;
Ø The foundations for bridge piers 2 and 3 have been completed;
Ø The reinforcing steel for Pier column #2 has been tied and is ready for placement on the completed foundation;
Ø The contractor is preparing material for the temporary cofferdam to be built around the foundation for water Pier #3
Ø Equipment and material have been mobilized to bridge pier #4 and the temporary equipment trestle is nearing completion in preparation for installed of the foundation shafts;
Ø Four more bridge segments have been built at the casting yard which brings us past the halfway mark for Span #1 (there are 10 spans per bridge);
Over the next two weeks, work will continue on the east side of the bridge as we continue to build the retaining wall, and install storm drain/other utilities. Drilled shaft installation for the foundations at pier #4 will resume on Monday, 3/2/2015. Also next week we anticipate standing the rebar cage for Pier #2 and begin the formwork installation in preparation for placement of the concrete. The installation of the foundation for the new traffic signal pole at the corner of Vista Circle and Shore Drive (across the street from Starbucks) is also expected to take place next week..That about wraps it up for now. Stay warm, stay dry, and drive safely!
-Chris
Christopher J. Wojtowicz, P.E.
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Municipal Center-Bldg 2
2405 Court House Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Phone: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com
Screen grab of construction cam shot taken on Feb 26th 2015 2am
Three Public Meetings Scheduled Throughout the Region – view at VBGov.com.
Federal law requires localities to adopt hazard mitigation plans to be eligible for certain federal mitigation grant funds. It requires that these plans be updated every five years. Hampton Roads localities will pursue a regional, multi-jurisdictional plan.
Public involvement is a key component.
unexpected damage at Lynnhaven Boat Ramp from Sandy Oct 2012
Program/Presentation –
Officer’s Reports Secretary – David Williams ; Treasurer’s Report -Kathy Pawlak ; Vice President – Wally Damon ; President – Todd Solomon
Old Business–
CIP 2.118 – Shore Drive Improvements Ocean Park: Update on efforts to schedule safety improvements earlier than current construction start date of January 2023.
Lesner Bridge Replacement Safety Issues – City/Community walkthrough of issues being scheduled. Turning light at Shore-Vista, Speed bump at same intersection have been identified. Do you have any additional safety concerns?
New Business –
Arrive Alive Awareness Campaign – Recent 3 deaths on Shore Drive appear to be alcohol related. Is a restaurant table top notice campaign a worthwhile effort? A design contest and possible grant funding could be used. Partnership with businesses would be a must. Thoughts and discussion.
Community Concerns – Does your neighborhood/condo have any issues that have come up that need help or may be a warning to others?
All City of Virginia Beach offices and facilities will open tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m. That includes all parks, recreation centers, libraries and the Virginia Aquarium. City-run historic homes will remain closed Wednesday. There will be no trash or recycle pickups on Wednesday.
The city’s essential operating condition will continue until 10 a.m. Wednesday. At that time, the city will resume normal operating conditions.
Crews from Public Works will continue working to clear streets throughout the night and throughout the day tomorrow.
Due to the anticipated hazardous road and weather conditions, Public Works/Waste Management has CANCELLED trash and recycling collections for Wednesday. Residents are asked to place their trash cans at the curb line and leave them there until they are serviced. Those residents with small amounts of trash, or extra carts, may wish to skip collection this week, and have all materials collected the following week.
Collections will resume as soon as conditions allow, and will operate on a sliding basis. Tuesday collection area will be collected on the first day collections are resumed, and continuing each collection area as needed to complete collections for the week.
Yard debris collection has been suspended for the remainder of the week. Additional requests for bulky item collection will be re-scheduled for next week. The Virginia Beach Landfill and Resource Recovery Center will follow the City of Virginia Beach operating hours.
For updates about collections, call Public Works Waste Management at 385-4650 or visit www.VBgov.com/wastemgt.
Drivers should not be out on the roads, if at all possible, to allow emergency vehicles to do their jobs.
Photo credit: Tim Solanic
Virginia Beach Cancels Waste Pickup for Tuesday, Feb 17
Photo credit: cyclist Cindy L.
Thanks to Empsy of Cape Story by The Sea for putting together this list of City of Virginia Beach Code.
Sec. 7-49. Safety equipment required, moped operators and passengers.permanent link to this piece of content
(a)
Every person operating a moped on a public street or highway of the city shall wear a face shield, safety glasses or goggles approved by the superintendent of state police, or shall have his moped or gas-powered wheeled device equipped with safety glass or a windshield at all times while operating such vehicle; and any operator and any passengers thereon, if any, shall wear protective helmets of a type approved by the superintendent of the state police.
(b)
Any person who knowingly violates this Section shall be guilty of a traffic infraction and shall be subject to a fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
(Ord. No. 2848, 10-26-04; Ord. No. 2952, 6-27-06)
Sec. 7-50. Helmets required for riders of bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and motorized scooters fourteen years of age or younger.permanent link to this piece of content
(a)
Every person fourteen (14) years or younger shall be required to wear a protective helmet which meets the standards promulgated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Standards whenever riding or being carried on a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or motorized scooter on any highway, street, sidewalk or bicycle path.
(b)
A violation of any provision of this section shall be punishable by fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). However, with respect to any person riding or being carried on a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric-powered-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or motorized scooter, such fine shall be suspended (i) for first-time violators or (ii) for any violator who, subsequent to the violation but prior to imposition of the fine, purchases a helmet of the type required by this Section.
(Ord. No. 2848, 10-26-04; Ord. No. 2952, 6-27-06)Sec. 7-59. Regulations pertaining to riding on city sidewalks and bicycle paths other than the resort area.permanent link to this piece of content
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to ride a moped or motor-driven cycle on any sidewalk or designated bicycle route within the City.
(b)
Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or motorized scooter is permitted on the sidewalks and designated bicycle paths of the City.
(c)
A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter or electric power-assisted bicycle upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian, shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian, and shall dismount and walk the bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter or electric power-assisted bicycle when necessary to avoid physical contact with any person; and
(d)
A violation of this Section shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00).Sec. 7-60. Reckless riding; speed.permanent link to this piece of content
(a)
No person shall ride a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped recklessly or at a speed faster than is reasonably proper, or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb or property of the rider or of any other person.
(b)
It shall be unlawful for any person to use or operate roller blades, roller skates or any similar devices on wheels or runners whether such use is permitted or not, recklessly or at a speed faster than is reasonably proper, or in a manner so as to interfere with pedestrians or to endanger the life, limb or property of the rider or any other person.
(Ord. No. 2848, 10-26-04; Ord. No. 2952, 6-27-06)
Sec. 7-61. Racing.permanent link to this piece of content
(a)
Bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped racing on the highways is prohibited except as authorized in this section.
(b)
Bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped racing on a highway shall not be unlawful when a racing event has been approved by the City Manager on any highway under the jurisdiction of the City. Approval of bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped highway racing events shall be granted only under conditions which assure reasonable safety for all race participants, spectators and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference with traffic flow which would seriously inconvenience other highway users.
(c)
By agreement with the approving authority, participants in an approved bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle and moped highway racing event may be exempted from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable thereto, provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users.
(Ord. No. 2848, 10-26-04; Ord. No. 2952, 6-27-06)
February 6th 2015 update:
Lane Closure: Tomorrow, Saturday the 7th – between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM – there will be a single lane closure on westbound Shore Drive between Page Avenue and East Stratford Street. This lane closure is being put in place to offload the permanent steel casings for bridge pier #4.
Note: LANE CLOSURE FOR SATURDAY IS CANCELLED PER CONTRACTORDredging of Crab Creek was started this week and will continue for the next 3 weeks (complete by 2/28/2015). Just as in the last update, we advise boaters who are using this channel during this time period to be cautious of the dredging equipment when navigating the Crab Creek Channel.
Now on to the question everybody’s been asking: “What has been accomplished over the last two weeks?”
Actually, quite a lot – despite the cold temperatures.
Ø Installation of the retaining wall panels on the west side of the bridge (in front of 3556 On The Bay) has been completed;
Ø The installation of the new 16-inch water main in the western bridge approach has been completed;
Ø The first several courses of retaining wall panels along the entire length of the new eastern bridge approach (former Duck Inn property) has been placed;
Ø Several hundred feet of utility duct bank and storm drain have been constructed within the eastern bridge approach;
Ø Concrete for bridge pier column #1 was placed last week and forms will be stripped on 2/7/2015;
Ø Construction of the concrete cap at pier #2 has been completed and the reinforcing steel tied for bridge pier column #2;
Ø All of the foundation shafts for pier #3 have been constructed;
Ø Equipment and material have been mobilized to bridge pier #4 location and several of the permanent steel casings have been set;
Ø Three more bridge segments have been built at the casting yard with a fourth scheduled to be poured tomorrow, Saturday the 7th;
Over the next two weeks, you can expect to see a lot of activity on the east side of the bridge as we continue to build the retaining wall, install storm drain, and install other utilities in that location as we build up the embankment to the new bridge elevation. We will also begin installing the drilled shaft foundations at pier #4 and begin installation of the cofferdam around pier #3 in preparation for construction of the pier cap.
That’s it for now. Have a safe driving weekend!
-Chris
Christopher J. Wojtowicz, P.E.
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Municipal Center-Bldg 2
2405 Court House Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Phone: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com
Screen grab of construction cam shot taken on Feb 6 2015 at 1pm.
Medical emergency in westbound lanes.
EXPECT DELAYS
For those who’ve been looking to get the law refined and tightened up to eliminate confusion, you’ll have to wait another year apparently.
From Virginia Bicycling Federation Legislative Update:
Betsy Carr (Richmond), Jeion Ward (Newport News) & LeMunyon (Chantilly) voting yea, while Chairman Garrett was joined by Scott Taylor (VA Beach), Terry Austin (Buchanan), & Todd Pillion (Abingdon) in voting to kill it.
View Official documents at LIS Virginia Legislative Information Center:
HB 2159 Pedestrians; crossing highways.
Introduced by: K. Rob Krupicka | all patrons … notes | add to my profilesSUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:
Pedestrians crossing highways. Clarifies the duties of vehicles to stop to allow pedestrians to cross highways at marked crosswalks.
Existing state law that will not change includes:
The drivers of vehicles entering, crossing, or turning at intersections shall change their course, slow down, or stop if necessary to permit pedestrians to cross such intersections safely and expeditiously.
Pedestrians crossing highways at intersections shall at all times have the right-of-way over vehicles making turns into the highways being crossed by the pedestrians.
Emphasis ours.
Note crosswalk signal across Shore Drive. This vehicle has right of way over pedestrian crossing.
View previous posts about tragic deadly crash.
Coverage at WAVY.com including video:
Eastbound Shore Drive is closed from 83rd Street to First Landing State Park while police investigate the accident. It is unknown at this time how long the road will be closed.
View LIVE VIDEO at 13 News Now.
Shore Drive was closed at the First Landing State Park gate to 83rd Street, to include the Fort Story mid-gate, until 6:45 a.m. The westbound lane was opened at that point, but eastbound remained closed.
If you’ve recently driven over the #LESNERBRIDGE you’ve noticed the toasty weather allowed Public Works the ability to get new, bright lines and reflectors added to the road both east & west bound.
Screen shot of bridge construction cam at 10am Tuesday January 20th 2015.
From COVB Public Works Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT:
January 19, 2015 Drew Lankford, (757) 385-8062
(757) 409-4353
dlankfor@vbgov.comTemporary Daytime Lane Reductions on Lesner Bridge on Tuesday
Virginia Beach Public Works has announced that there will be single lane closures on Lesner Bridge tomorrow morning, Tuesday, January 20, 2015, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3p.m.
The lane closures will be on both eastbound and westbound Shore Drive between Vista Circle and East Stratford Street.
Crews will be restoring the faded temporary pavement markings in these areas.
For additional information, contact Chris Wojtowicz at cwojtowi@vbgov.com, or (757) 385-4131.
Screen shot of bridge construction cam at 7am this morning.
On Dec. 10, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 3 office sent a letter to Virginia Beach Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr., confirming that Virginia Beach was in compliance with the flood insurance program. In addition, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) confirms that Virginia Beach is in compliance with all requirements of the program, and will not be suspended.
January 15 2014 Update:
Friends:
As we bask in the cold, damp, drizzly, foggy, chilly, London-type weather, while watching moss grow everywhere, we have been receiving some inquiries about some pavement problems that need to be addressed on the Lesner Bridge project.
Below is the latest information from Chris Wojtowicz, our project manager. Please give this a look when you have the time, and feel free to let Chris or me know if you have any questions or need more information.
As a reminder, we are regularly updating information on our WEB page at: http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/roadways/Pages/lesner-bridge-7-14.aspx .
You can also follow us on Twitter at: @lesnerbridge.
If you know of someone who would like to be added to our update list, please have them get in touch with me at this e-mail address and I will be glad to add them.
Please feel free to pass this along to others. Thanks again for all of your patience throughout this project.
Thanks for all your questions and comments – and patience. Enjoy your weekend, and please stay warm and be safe.
Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach
dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353To All:
This Lesner Bridge project update is to bring you all up to speed on the status of addressing several pavement issues on Shore Drive within the bridge project limits. We have been receiving a number of phone calls, texts, and emails regarding the faded temporary pavement markings on westbound Shore Drive just past the Page Avenue intersection, as well as the bump on eastbound Shore Drive at the Vista Circle intersection.
1) The “Bump”: A request for estimate and schedule has been submitted to a paving contractor. This estimate is due to the City no later than tomorrow, 1/16/2015. The estimate is based on the milling of the asphalt that is causing this bump in the eastbound outside lane for Shore Drive at the Vista Circle intersection and then replacing this asphalt with up to 2” of surface asphalt to match the elevation of the existing concrete pavement and eliminate the elevation difference that is causing the bump.
2) Faded Pavement Markings: We are very aware of the faded pavement markings along Shore Drive, both eastbound and westbound, and between East Stratford Street and Vista Circle/Page Avenue. We have attempted three times to replace these markings, but due to the wet weather and cold temperatures we have had to delay this maintenance work. Once we get a day where the pavement temperature is 50°F and rising, as well as dry, we will replace these painted temporary markings with a more durable thermoplastic marking. We will also place raised reflective pavement makers to help delineate the travel and turn lanes during wet weather and nighttime driving.
Once we have a definite schedule for this work, we will send out a news release announcing the date and times for the lane closures required to perform this work.
We appreciate your patience on these issues as we navigate through this period of cold and wet – typical coastal VIRGINIA – weather.
Thanks Again,
-Chris
Christopher J. Wojtowicz, P.E.
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Municipal Center-Bldg 2
2405 Court House Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Phone: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com
#WeLoveShoreDrive 