Robert M. Stanton, the committee' s chairman, said he is optimistic that a final design will emerge for Shore Drive that can accommodate everyone's interests. Virginia Beach Public Works Director Dean Block echoed the chairman's advice. The consultant's report on Shore Drive will serve as the backbone to get the project listed for limited Virginia Department of Transportation funding in the next fiscal year. If state road money isn't used, the City Council likely would have to spend local tax money to acquire waterfront property necessary to complete its grand plans. Today, Shore Drive is the northernmost of three main arteries to Virginia Beach's resort strip.
Studies suggest changes are needed to cut down on bottlenecks and rear-end collisions.
Without improvement, regional transportation planners forecast excessive congestion by 2020, especially during evening rush hour. A Shore Drive Corridor Transportation Study issued in June 1999 by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission recommended widening Shore Drive from four to six lanes between Northampton Boulevard and North Great Neck Road, a proposal penciled into the region's 2018 long-range transportation needs plan since 1997. At the same time, some city and civic leaders have tried to keep Shore Drive's sense of community from being further erased by development and a cookie-cutter approach to suburban planning. Since 1997, the effort has resulted in two community-based studies. Both say changes should be driven by the belief that Shore Drive is primarily a residential community, not a tourist destination.