Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Virginia rankles motorists by closing half of all rest-stops amidst budget woes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/23/report-virginia-rankles-motorists-by-closing-half-of-all-rest-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/23/report-virginia-rankles-motorists-by-closing-half-of-all-rest-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/23/report-virginia-rankles-motorists-by-closing-half-of-all-rest-s/#commentsFiled under: ,



Motorists traveling through Virginia take note: It's time to get used to crossing your legs just a wee bit tighter on long trips through the Old Dominion as the Virginia Department of Transportation has closed nearly half of all its interstate rest areas. The cited reason? Budgetary shortfalls... what else?

According to VDOT, the closure of these 18 rest areas will save $9 million per year and will be joined by delayed construction projects and a slew of laid off workers. Virginia politicians have apparently been arguing the issue for months and a suitable compromise has yet to be reached.

In addition to the obvious loss of restroom choices, critics argue that the shuttering of rest stops may have a negative impact on the safety of travelers as weary drivers and tired truckers will have far fewer places to stop for some shuteye or to get a quick coffee. With more and more states facing severe budget shortfalls, could your state be next? Click past the break for a press release and a full list of closed VA rest areas. Thanks for the tip, Robin!

[Source: Roanoke.com]

Continue reading REPORT: Virginia rankles motorists by closing half of all rest-stops amidst budget woes

REPORT: Virginia rankles motorists by closing half of all rest-stops amidst budget woes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia lawmakers are taking a metaphorical battering ram to suburban culs-de-sac, those little dead-end roundabouts that are almost all adorned with a yellow sign saying "No Outlet." Caught out by spiraling maintenance and development costs, the Washington Post reports that legislators are now mandating that the state will only maintain new subdivision roadways that meet its revised requirements for narrower dimensions and increased connectivity. That maintenance includes not only things like pothole patches and striping, but also plowing in winter, meaning that the state's new laws will carry very real consequences for planners and developers who choose not to comply.

The rise of culs-de-sac occurred when suburban city planners and private developers decided it was better to have a few roads act as central spines instead of connecting all roads in a grid. Unfortunately, the result has been that the large thoroughfares connecting all those culs-de-sac suffer from traffic jams, high maintenance costs, as well as a constant need for widening as populations increase. They're also annoying to ambulance drivers who can't take alternate routes while responding to an emergency because side streets off of main arteries often don't connect, resulting in longer response and transport times.

Suburban dwellers are, of course, against the change. They chose culs-de-sac for particular reasons, notably because they are generally safer for children and quieter than connected streets. Cul-de-sac homeowners are worried that if connector streets are added, speeding commuters will start flying through their formerly safe developments like they do on the few connecting roads currently exist.

While there is little that homeowners can do now to change the rules, urban planners and designers are looking at making more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly subdivisions with enough connectivity that there isn't just one road that's either clear or gridlocked. Said one council member, "We're trying to create flexibility... instead of a one size fits all."

Kids, play in the streets while you can, because the times, they are a-changin'...

[Source: Washington Post via Wallet Pop]

Whither Suburbia? Virginia all but outlaws cul-de-sac construction in face of traffic costs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To aid in the fight against counterfeiting, Virginia is combining new tech with old: lasers and black & white photography. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has ceased issuing licenses made from layers of plastic, replacing them with cards that use neither layers nor photographs.

The new licenses have a color background, but the photographs are laser etched in black-and-white since lasers can't yet etch in color. The new IDs also sport a bit of microprinting and a transparent second picture, behind which is the person's name in some squiggly print. It's not the prettiest driver's license in the world, but if it helps you hold onto your identity, that's got to count for something. It also gives someone in the DMV purchasing department a chance to say "I've been looking for a good reason to buy a laser..."

[Source: The Associated Press via NBCWashington.com]

VA driver's licenses going black-and-white to thwart counterfeiters originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dmvetcgovernmentidid carIdCaridentificationidentification cardIdentificationCardlicensevirginiaThu, 26 Feb 2009 18:58:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in <i>GTA</i>, takes mom's Taurus to school]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/09/video-6-year-old-learns-to-drive-in-i-gta-i-takes-moms-tau/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/09/video-6-year-old-learns-to-drive-in-i-gta-i-takes-moms-tau/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/09/video-6-year-old-learns-to-drive-in-i-gta-i-takes-moms-tau/#commentsFiled under:


Click above to jump to the video

"How many times have I told you to stop playing those video games and go to school?" For any kid addicted to his xBox or PlayStation 3, that's bound to sound familiar. The clever (or fortunate) ones will manage to keep the fun rolling with a PSP or Nintendo DS, but at least one child has taken things a step further.

When the six-year-old son of David Eugene Dodson and Jacqulyn Deana Waltman of Wicomico Church, Virginia, missed the bus to school in the morning, he grabbed the keys to the family's Ford Taurus and drove himself. Well, almost. The young driver made it surprisingly far, over a bridge and around a few corners, until he crashed the Taurus into an electrical piling...and then proceeded on foot, determined to make it to school.

The child is now in protective custody together with his four-year-old brother while his parents face child endangerment charges. When asked by state troopers how he learned to drive, he freely told the officials that he honed his chops in front of the television, playing video games like Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Who said video games were a waste of time? Follow the jump to view the AP television news report.

[Source: The Seattle Times]

Continue reading VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in GTA, takes mom's Taurus to school

VIDEO: 6-year-old learns to drive in GTA, takes mom's Taurus to school originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>David Eugene DodsonDavidEugeneDodsongrand theft autoGrandTheftAutogtaJacqulyn Deana WaltmanJacqulynDeanaWaltmanvirginivirginiawicomicowicomico churchwicomico church virginiawicomico virginiaWicomicoChurchWicomicoChurchVirginiaWicomicoVirginiaFri, 09 Jan 2009 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Raising taxes through speed traps]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/raising-taxes-through-speed-traps/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/raising-taxes-through-speed-traps/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/raising-taxes-through-speed-traps/#commentsFiled under: ,



As many states and local municipalities struggle to balance budgets and find funding for services like police protection, it seems like many are turning to alternative means of raising revenues. Since politicians are invariably loathe to actually raise taxes to pay for the services that people expect, speed traps are becoming increasingly popular. According to Detroit News columnist John McCormick, not only are more speed traps being used, the fines are getting increasingly punitive. Drivers in Virginia might want to be particularly watchful of speed limits. Surpassing the limit by 15 mph will now cost you $1,250 plus court costs. Topping 80 mph will cost you double that and possibly jail time. All this seems pretty extreme, especially if a driver isn't driving recklessly or the speed limit is set artificially low. Speeding in a residential area is unacceptable, but going 80 on a wide open highway in clear conditions is not necessarily dangerous.

[Source: Detroit News]

Raising taxes through speed traps originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>michiganspeed-trapsvirginiaWed, 21 Nov 2007 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Improvements in Virginia brought to you by new fines on speeders]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/27/improvements-in-virginia-brought-to-you-by-new-fines-on-speeders/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/27/improvements-in-virginia-brought-to-you-by-new-fines-on-speeders/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/27/improvements-in-virginia-brought-to-you-by-new-fines-on-speeders/#commentsFiled under:

So they're not out to break a speeder's bank like Indiana, but Virginia has created a host of civil fines for speeders that will pay for the state's new annual $1 billion transportation package. That means that after July 1, not only will you get a bill from the judge for speeding, you will then get a much larger bill from the state. Fr'instance, drive without a license, pay $75 to the court and $900 to VA. Do 20 mph over the limit, pay $200 to the court, pay $1,050 to VA. We really love this one: if you have eight points on your license and get a speeding ticket, you'll pay an additional $75 for every point above eight, and another $100 for simply having more than eight points. That smacks of double jeopardy to us, but what do we know?

For the record, almost no one -- and not just speeders -- likes it. Court clerks are expecting to face the anger when people find out about the new fees at the courthouse window. Defense attorneys are getting ready for legal challenges. Judges are expecting people to start pleading not guilty to avoid paying the fees. Which means prosecutors will face more trials.

The "abuser fees" are only for "major" infractions, and only paid by Virginia residents. The new revenue will pay for building roads, snow removal, pothole repair, and grass mowing. David Albo, one of the legislative sponsors of the bill, took New Jersey's similar fee system as a template, and called it "a voluntary tax." After all, "if you don't commit a crime ... you don't pay anything."

Thanks for the tip, Josh

[Source: Washington Post]

Improvements in Virginia brought to you by new fines on speeders originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fineslicensepointsregistrationspeedingstatesvirginiaWed, 27 Jun 2007 10:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Virginia adds replica car category to title process]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/22/virginia-adds-replica-car-category-to-title-process/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/22/virginia-adds-replica-car-category-to-title-process/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/22/virginia-adds-replica-car-category-to-title-process/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Beginning on July 1, kit/replica/component car buyers in Virginia will be able to title their vehicles in a different way. It seems the Virginia General Assembly has approved a new law allowing these vehicles to be registered as whatever model year the replica represents. The big advantage there lies in the fact that owners will be getting around those knuckle- and wallet-busting safety and emissions requirements for newly-built cars. This means Virginia will be joining Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Rhode Island as states with similar titling laws on the books.

But lest you think this gives you carte blanche to build your own backyard burner and terrorize the local citizenry, know that there are some restrictions. First of all, the law defines a replica as "a vehicle not fully constructed by a licensed manufacturer but either constructed or assembled from components." Secondly, as a gesture of good will between thankful hobbyists and concerned officials, "replica vehicles titled under this law will be limited to no more than 5,000 miles per year as shown by the vehicle's odometer." So it has to be a true kit car, not a tuner, and you have to keep your driving down to about 100 miles per weekend or 400 miles a month.

In particular this will help manufacturers of cars like the Shelby Cobra kits we see all over the place. In fact, the Cobra clubs in Virginia were instrumental in getting this bill passed. Being heavily involved in the industry, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) was also part of the process. SEMA has actually been at the forefront in encouraging states to pass this kind of legislation. They are also working on similar initiatives in Florida, Arkansas, New York, Massachusetts and Nevada.

[Source: SEMA]

Virginia adds replica car category to title process originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car titleCarTitleComponent carComponentCarkit carKitCarreplicareplicarSEMAVirginiaThu, 22 Mar 2007 12:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota poised to build plant number eight in US]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/05/toyota-poised-to-build-plant-number-eight-in-us/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/05/toyota-poised-to-build-plant-number-eight-in-us/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/05/toyota-poised-to-build-plant-number-eight-in-us/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Toyota is in the process of scouting locations and performing feasibility studies on opening another plant in the U.S.

The addition of another manufacturing center within the States would make the total number of ToMoCo plants rise to eight, further shoring up production capacity in one of its most prosperous markets.

According to sources cited by the WSJ, Toyota has five locations in mind, all of which are in the southern U.S., and currently include Chattanooga, TN and Marion, AR. Back in mid-December, the SouthernAutoCorridor.com reported that sites in North Carolina and Southwest Virginia were being reconed as well.

There may be an announcement about Toyota's intentions later this month and according to the WSJ's sources, the plant will likely produce Highlander SUVs to the tune of about 200k per year, when the plant opens in 2009.

[Source: Drive.com.au, Wall Street Journal, SouthernAutoCorridor.com]

Toyota poised to build plant number eight in US originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may have seen what's widely considered to be the hottest drivers licenese picture in the world. Then there's the other end of the spectrum. The guys behind the Jackass-meets-SNL DVD called Teenagers from Uranus decided to test the limit of Virginia's tolerance for ugly head shots in the video after the jump. Needless to say, such a limit does not exist in the state of Virginia, and the DMV in that state welcomes all with a pulse.

If you're truly concerned about showing up photogenic the day you get your drivers license renewed, check out this link for tips from Tyra Banks on how to take a FIERCE photo at the DMV. Seriously, what would we do without Tyra?

Thanks to macky for the tip!

Continue reading VIDEO: Funny licenses prove Virginia will let anyone drive

VIDEO: Funny licenses prove Virginia will let anyone drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drivers licenseDriversLicenseteenagers from uranusTeenagersFromUranustyra banksTyraBanksvirginiaThu, 28 Dec 2006 19:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Two steps forward for Ford, one step way back for two Ford plants]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/16/two-steps-forward-for-ford-one-step-way-back-for-two-ford-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/16/two-steps-forward-for-ford-one-step-way-back-for-two-ford-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/16/two-steps-forward-for-ford-one-step-way-back-for-two-ford-plant/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Mark Fields revealed last week during his update speech detailing Ford's progress with its "Way Forward Plan" that two Blue Oval plants will be idled in 2008. The two plants affected include the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, MN and the Norfolk Assembly Plant in Virginia.

One word can sum up why these plants were chosen to be idled: inflexibility. Both were built in 1925 around the time dirt was invented. Though the Norfolk plant assembles the F-150, the best selling vehicle in history that's on pace to sell a record 900,000 units for the third year in a row, Ford realized that flexible manufacturing at fewer plant sites could maintain its full-size truck production. The Twin Cities plant, however, was betrayed by its own product - the Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series small pickups. Ranger sales are down 15.9 in the first quarter and the aged trucks haven't received a major redesign since 1992 (MY1993).

The idling (read: closing) will affect 4,318 hourly and salaried workers. Ford did say that it would reveal its plans surrounding a Ranger replacement closer to the time the Twin Cities plant goes dark in 2008.

Follow the jump for some additional stats and a history of production for each plant.

[Source: Ford]
[Photo: AP Photo/Janet Hostetter]

Continue reading Two steps forward for Ford, one step way back for two Ford plants

Two steps forward for Ford, one step way back for two Ford plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Apr 2006 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>B-SeriesF-150MinnesotaNorfolkpickup truckspickupsPickupTrucksRangerSt. PaulSt.PaultrucksVirginiaSun, 16 Apr 2006 07:04:00 EST