VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Atlantic Avenue, the heart of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, could soon see major changes aimed at improving safety, traffic flow and its overall appearance.
A task force made up of Oceanfront stakeholders — including hotel operators, restaurant owners and other business leaders — presented its recommendations to city leaders Tuesday after months of meetings focused on how to spend $35 million dedicated to enhancing the corridor.
“What we did is we prioritized where we thought the biggest need was,” said Michael Mauch, a member of the task force.
Since the summer, the group has worked to identify upgrades that could make Atlantic Avenue more welcoming and memorable for residents and visitors alike. Among the recommendations are new pavement, raised crosswalks to slow traffic, upgraded lighting and landscaping, and sidewalk replacements.
The task force also suggested adding public art along the corridor, similar to what already exists in the city’s ViBe District.
“We would love to be able to partner with the Virginia Beach school system to get local art from our students and place it on utility boxes and throughout the area,” Mauch said.
Other proposed changes include improving lighting from Fifth Street to 24th Street, adding bike lanes on the east side of Atlantic Avenue and removing the current trolley lane. Instead, designated pull-off areas would be created to allow trolleys, delivery vehicles, and emergency responders to access businesses.
“There will be open areas for the trolley to pull in to pick people up and drop people off, as well as for deliveries and emergency vehicles to get right up to the businesses,” Mauch said.
Removing the trolley lane would also allow for year-round on-street parking along the southern portions of Atlantic Avenue, where parking is currently limited to the offseason.
The recommendations also include the creation of “micro-commerce zones,” which would allow some businesses to expand seating or retail space into the public right-of-way.
“Micro-commerce zones would allow cafe franchises to move out so customers could sit on raised platforms that would be tastefully done,” Mauch said. “Think of places like Montreal.”
City Council has not yet approved the proposals and is expected to hear more details — particularly about the micro-commerce zones — before deciding whether to move forward.
