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Virginians challenged to drive better at Charlotte County BOS meeting
By Megan Peak/The Union Star
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 12:00 PM EST
Mr. Joe Barkley with VDOT, a representative from the DMV in South Boston, Janice Duffey and Sergeant Barksdale from Charlotte and Halifax state police presented a partnership program between the three agencies to enforce highway safety during last Tuesday's Charlotte County Board of Supervisors meeting.
The agencies will join forces to enforce safety and this safety is aimed at increasing public awareness of highway fatalities.
"We will join forces to cut fatalities by 100 by 2010; our greatest single tool is to change highway behavior," said Barkley. "There is no more effective tool that changing driving behavior remind everyone in Virginia they are responsible."
"The five top ways are buckle up, avoid distractions, share the road drive drug and alcohol free, and obey speed limits," he said.
In an on-screen video, Tim Kaine told observers that for people under the age of 30, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death. Over 900 people die a year in Virginia roads, 19 per week or 3 per day; not wearing a seatbelt causes more deaths than ever and 30 percent involve drinking alcohol.
"Take the challenge, help put the brakes on highway fatalities," he ended. "Changing numbers takes actions and we challenge all Virginians to take part in Virginia safety challenge."
Traffic deaths in Virginia exceeded by 1000 just this year. This is the first year since 1990 since Virginia has went over 900. The challenge's goal is to reduce fatalities by 100.
"VDOT, DMV and state police have formed a partnership to reduce these highway fatalities, In
2007-2006: four crashes resulted in four fatalities in Charlotte County and three crashes resulting in two fatalities."
"We have designated a trooper as a safety coordinator and his job is to go by schools and coordinate with the principal so they can set up meetings and talk to children about highway safety issues."
" I think by educating our young people, I think we can reduce highway fatalities in 2008," he ended. "Our federal monies that we receive every year go towards troopers to combat driving under the influence, speeding and no seatbelts."
In other board news:
In the regular VDOT report, Route 619 or known as Double Bridge Road is still closed, some of bridge is rebuilt but VDOT needs to build other part. This project will hopefully be done in the spring.
There will be some major work in the removal of trees north and south of this intersection near the administration building in next few weeks. The project could start as early as Monday and finish in a week, said Barkley.
By the next meeting, Jimmy Epps and I will be bringing a draft proposal of the 6-year plan to discuss revisions and a public hearing date will be in March.
VDOT is the process of rebuilding a new office at Craftons Gate and a new office building by 2008 is the goal.
Former chairman Haywood Hamlet shared his concerns about the passing lane in front of the school.
"We understand the logic behind the decision, flashing lights will hender passing," said Barkley. "If it doesn't work out, we will revisit the situation."
Marianne Thorpe and Sandra Elgin were presented with resolutions honoring the ladies for their years of work with the county. Thorpe is retiring after serving the county faithfully for 26 years from January 1982 to January 2008.
Elgin is retiring after serving the county faithfully for 34 years from January 1974 to January 2008.
"Anytime these ladies were needed, they were here, said Richard Walker. "Their jobs are tough jobs." Both women are from Walker's district.
Judy Bentley with ICON Broadband Technology presented phase I findings of the report from the Virginia Rural Broadband Planning Initiative, created by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Two separate surveys were created during the first phase, with 2500 residential and 276 businesses, the survey received 37 percent from residents and 33 percent from businesses.
Over 75 percent were from working age adults and 44 percent from families with children.
"The majority is using dial up and 78 percent say bandwidth speed is inadequate," added Bentley.
Conclusions are the high speed is in demand, DSL specifically, to present the opportunity for more people to work from home. The problems are that DSL only available in Keysville and wireless is only available in the town center,
Some opportunities include Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative fiber network or possibly Jet Broadband.
"During Phase 2, the intiative plans to expand on what we have built in Phase 1, where are assets and opportunities, provide preliminary engineer design, organization and operation and funding strategies for future projects," ended Bentley.
After an amendment, the board approved the resolution for broadband Internet to continue to Phase II from Telecommunications.
The board approved coyote claims for Jim Bavely, Charlotte Court House, Crystal Hamlette, Brookneal, James Price, Keysville, Chris St. John, Concord, Henry D. Scott, Randolph, Robi Robinette, Skipwith, Thomas Owen, Keysville, Robert Bryant, Phenix, Bonnie Lambert, Pamplin, Laura Broggin, Brookneal, Brandon Rutledge, Red Oak, Kendall Adams, Cullen, Chris Lee, Charlotte Court House, Tommy Francis, Drakes Branch, Lester Harvey, Phenix and Israel Yoder, Charlotte County Court House.
"Somebody needs to study this issue, some counties are doing away with the bounty because it isn't doing anything to the coyote population," said county administrator R.B. Clark. "I don't think anyone ever envisioned this number. This is all being paid for with local money."
Board members Joe Carey and Hamlet were selected to research the issue.
The board approved to refund 2005, 2006, 2007 real estate tax to James M. and Shirley A. Colombo, Randolph.
The Transportation Safety Commission will be meeting on Jan. 24.
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