Shore Drive safety fundraiser
VIRGINIA BEACH -- Recent fatalities and public support prompted the City of Va. Beach to drop the speed limit on part of Shore Drive.
The change from 45 MPH to 35 MPH takes effect June 15, officials said, and will cover a four-mile stretch between Pleasure House and North Great Neck roads.
A letter from Vice Mayor Jones and Councilman Wood was reviewed at Tuesday's meeting and, after some discussion, the proposal was unanimously approved.
The request was made after phone calls and emails that council members received following the deaths of several pedestrians who tried to cross Shore Drive.
Whitney Hulce and Dobbie Jones are the most recent fatalities. Hulce, a school teacher, was killed in April; Jones died in October 2009. Their roadside memorials are 50-feet apart. Both were struck after a night at a bar and the area doesn't have a crosswalk.
10 people in eight years have died that section of Shore Drive.
A fundraiser for improving safety and to support families of those who've lost their lives will be held Thursday at CP Shucker's from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
A second location is Bayside Bar and Grill at 2973 Shore Dr. There will be a shuttle taking the patrons back and forth if they chose to go between locations, organizers told WVEC.com
The money will be used to add crosswalks and street lights to the area, organizers added.
Councilman Bill DeSteph told 13News money raised tonight can't be used for crosswalks or street signs and street lights because those are projects that must be put out to bid.
