Cautiously crossing
Virginia Beach considers bringing back traffic signal in front of Cavalier Hotel
VIRGINIA BEACH — Crossing Atlantic Avenue on foot in front of the Cavalier Hotel is not for the faint of heart.
Drivers whiz by in both directions, rarely stopping for pedestrians who wait on either side of the crosswalk or in the median between the lanes.
On Wednesday morning, 12 cars flew by Michele Minetola as she waited for a break in the traffic to walk her bike across the street.
“It would be nice to have something that would slow down drivers to make it more pedestrian-friendly,” said Minetola, of Pennsylvania, who was renting a house with her family near the Cavalier complex.
City engineers are considering installing a traffic signal or a warning beacon given the increased number of pedestrian crossings on the 35 mph road, but a timeline hasn’t been set, according to Public Works Director L.J. Hansen.
This is the first summer that the Cavalier property has been fully up-and-running. It encompasses both the east and west side of Atlantic Avenue at the resort area’s North End, with three hotels, a beach club and dozens of residences.
The city conducted a study in mid-July that measured the number of pedestrians and bicyclists who crossed Atlantic Avenue from east to west in front of the Cavalier Hotel.
On July 15, a Saturday, crossings topped out at 318 people around 8 p.m. That does not include pedestrian crossings headed back the other direction. Hansen said he hadn’t analyzed the data yet.
“We have identified a significant presence of pedestrian crossings, that may warrant a signal or beacon,” Hansen said in a recent email. “However, a final decision has not been made to determine what treatment might be employed at this location.”
Several years ago, when Atlantic Avenue was reconfigured for the hotel projects, the city removed a traffic signal in front of the Cavalier Hotel and installed one a block south at 40th Street.
Developer Bruce Thompson of Gold Key|PHR, which operates the hotel property, said he has asked the city to bring back a traffic signal, rather than a flashing sign, and he’s recommending that it be synced
with the signal on 40th Street.
“It’s a big safety issue,” Thompson wrote in a text. “There will be a serious pedestrian accident there with over 1000 people on property trying to transit Atlantic several times a day.”
Councilman Worth Remick, who represents the district, told members of the Resort Advisory Commission earlier this month that steps will be taken soon to make the crosswalk safer.
Resort Advisory Commission member Michael Levinson, who lives in one of the houses fronting the Cavalier lawn, said he and his neighbors are anxiously looking forward to it.
“I’m excited that we’re in the process to get something,” he said.
Hansen wouldn’t say when action will be taken.
“It is our desire to engage with stakeholders before a final decision is made,” he said.