Qc-Tober 1974
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'; QC-TOBER 1974 Cover: This triple-decker bridge, completed about a year ago, is at the intersection of I-95, Washington Boulevard, and Columbia Pike in Arling ton County. On the bottom level is Joyce Street; on the second level is the ramp leading to Washington Boulevard and Columbia Pike; and on the top level are the lanes of I-95. The triple-decker, which is adjacent to the Pentagon, is the only one in the Mixing Bowl complex. Photo by Allen Covey. Vol. 4 0 No. JO Issued monthly hv the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation as a medium o/ depart111e11tal news and infc;nnation. D. B. Fu1;ate, co111111issoner. J_ F. Harwood, deputv com missioner and chief c11gi11cer: Flovd Mihi/1, editor: Jo Billings, editorial assistant: Ronald Rose, art work and !avout: Pauline Jrnkins and Pa11/inc Lo1·i11g, IBM Co111poscr typists. W. T. /Jeath, Ken Soper, Ron /.ciglzt_r. /11/cn Co1•ev, and Stephen Ring. photographers. Puhlishcd under t/1e direction of the office of /)Uh/ic relations. Oscar K. Mabry Robert G. Corder Moving Ahead With Transportation Major organizational changes were which has a staff of 55, will be respon instituted by the Department early in sible for conducting the Department's October to help implement the 1974 broad planning studies for rural and General Assembly's call for unified urban highways and highway-related tran transportation planning in Virginia. The sit. It will maintain close liaison with changes stemmed from the legislature's the state's planning district commissions, action in changing the name of the transportation district commissions, local former Department of Highways to the governments, and others with an interest Department of Highways and Transpor in transportation planning. In addition, tation, and broadening its mission to it will work with the transportation include responsibility for coordinating commissions and local governing officials planning for all modes of transportation. in helping to administer the state aid The metropolitan transportation program for urban mass transit. planning division has been divided into The transportation coordination divi two separate divisions-the division of sion, meanwhile. will have primary transportation planning and the division responsibility for coordinating plans for of transportation coordination, both of air. rail, and water transportation faci which are under the supervision of lities with highway and highway-related Director of Planning J. Paul Royer, Jr. transit plans. In addition, the division, The transportation planning division is which has a staff of 33, will be respon headed by Oscar K. Mabry, who headed sible for the functions of the land use the former division, and the transporta and urban traffic engineering sections, tion coordination division is headed by which were formerly a part of the Robert G. Corder, one of Mr. Mabry's metropolitan division. former assistants. Mr. Mabry will be In broadening the Department's assisted by Richard C. Lockwood, his planning function, the General Assembly former assistant, and two new assistants, kept intact the authority of other state Ralph L. Perry and Randolph E. Camp and transportation agencies, local bell. Mr. Corder will be assisted by govern men ts, and the private sector. George R. Conner. Thus, the Department's coordination The transportation planning division, will be aimed at insuring that transporta- 1 tion studies made by others, as well as was on educational leave to pursue his by its own staff, are considered on a graduate studies. He was appointed assis unified basis. tant metropolitan engineer in 1969 and Both Mr. Mabry and Mr. Corder have has headed the metropolitan division had wide experience in the field of since April, 1973. He is married to the transportation. Both have been deeply former Caroline Sue Dorsett, of Corpus involved in the Department's two most Christi, Texas, and they have a daughter, successful urban mass transit projects Courtney Suzanne. the express lanes for buses and car pools Mr. Corder, a native of Culpeper, on Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia graduated from the University of Vir and the 300-space fringe parking lot for ginia with a bachelor's degree in civil bus-riding commuters in the Richmond engineering in 1963, earned a master's area. They have also been responsible in degree in civil engineering from West recent years for many of the Depart Virginia University in 1966, and received ment's long-range planning studies, a certificate in urban planning from which have centered in the past pri Georgia Tech in 1968. He is a registered marily on highway and street needs and professional engineer in Virginia and a on highway-related mass transit needs. past president of the Virginia Associa Mr. Mabry, a native of Lexington, tion of Traffic Engineers. He joined the graduated from VMI in 1961 with a Department's graduate engineer training bachelor's degree in civil engineering, program in 1963 and, like Mr. Mabry, received a master's degree in civil engi was on educational leave for his gra neering from West Virginia University in duate studies. He became assistant 1966, and completed the professional rn et ropolitan transportation planning program in urban transportation at engineer when the metropolitan division Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh was established in September, 1969. He in 1972. He joined the Department's is married to the former Mary Ann engineer training program in 1961 and Hansbrough, of Culpeper. No Cause for Complacency The U. S. Department of Transporta is concerned because of the narrowing tion says that preliminary figures for month-to-month reduction in traffic August show a continuing decline deaths. nationally in highway fatalities. The "The 13 percent reduction in August decline for that month, however, was is the lowest for any month this year the smallest of the year. and only half of the peak reduction of The August figures, based on reports more than 26 percent in March," Dr. from all 50 states, show that there were Gregory said. "Our gains appear to be 13 percent fewer persons killed in traffic eroding when you consider that the accidents that month than in the same decline in traffic deaths during the last period a year ago- a saving of an esti three months, compared to the same mated 700 lives. period a year ago, has been 19, 16, and Dr. James B. Gregory, the Federal 13 percent, respectively." He urged Safety Administrator, said that while he motorists to redouble their efforts to is pleased with the continuing reduction drive safely and to observe posted speed in fatalities, particularly during the limits. high-traffic-volume vacation months, he 2 The Feasibility of Bikeways Living up to its new name, the Vir • It is not desirable to divert a speci ginia Department of Highways and fic portion of the highway user tax Transportation recently completed an funds to finance bikeways; the Depart extensive report evaluating the need for ment already uses these funds on a pro more bikeways around the state and the ject-by-project basis and should retain feasibility of their construction. The flexibility in funding to meet genuine Bikeway Development Study was ini needs. tiated by the traffic and safety division The report says that recreational under the direction of former Director bikeway facilities should be developed of Engineering Austin K. Hunsberger in by the Virginia Commission of Outdoor response to a joint resolution of the Recreation or other appropriate agency, 1973 Virginia General Assembly. J. Paul and it proposes a Bikeway Development Royer assumed command of the study Fund collected from sales taxes on bicy program when he became director of cles and registration-licensing fees and transportation planning last July. Major supplemented by federal and local portions of the study were conducted monies. The average per-mile cost of by traffic engineers Bert Dunnavant and bicycle lanes, which share a roadway, Ralph Rhudy under the supervision of was estimated at $10,000. Bicycle trails, L. H. Dawson, Jr., assistant state traffic separated from the roadway by a barrier and safety engineer. or open space, cost $38,000 to $40,000 After 18 months of thorough review per mile. with other agencies, educational institu Included in the report was an analy tions, city officials, and bicycle enthu sis of bicycle-motor vehicle accident siasts, the Department reached these statistics. Twenty-two persons were conclusions: killed in bicycle-motor vehicle accidents • The growing popularity of bicycles, during 1973, an increase of 120 percent as evidenced by the fact that those in over the 10 fatalities which occurred in use in Virginia increased from 544,000 1972. Because the greatest frequency of in 1960 to about 1,641,000 in 1974, accidents is among schoolchildren, it was demands more attention to the provision suggested that traffic law programs be of safe, adequate bikeway facilities. geared to their level. More stringent •commuter bicycle routes should be enforcement of laws relating to bicy financed with highway user tax reve clists was also recommended. nues as a part of street and highway Bicycle facilities totaling five miles in construction and improvement projects. length and expected to cost more than •Planning of bicycle facilities should $100,000 are to be constructed as part be a matter of local initiative. of a current project which is also pro • Adequate provision must be made viding preferential lanes for commuter for maintenance of completed facilities. buses along US 50 in Arlington County. • A statewide system is not recom Other bicycle routes in Northern Vir mended at this time owing to the ginia, Virginia Beach, and Blacksburg are physical problems of establishing routes in active planning stages; these are ex and the complexities of identifying bike pected to cost almost $4 million.