Canadian auto group advises avoiding U.S. 19 'speed trap': In 2001, Summersville police issued 18,133 tickets

pjnyden@wvgazette.com

Charleston businesses may soon see extra cash if thousands ofCanadian travelers heading south decide to avoid traveling along U.S.19 through Summersville.

On Monday, the Canadian Automobile Association in Ontario beganadvising its members to avoid Summersville, a city making millionseach year from issuing thousands of speeding tickets.

In 2001, Summersville police officers issued 18,133 tickets. Thevast majority went to motorists on U.S. 19.

An internal CAA memo noted the group's Government and PublicAffairs section "has kindly done the research for us and we havedetermined that Summersville, W.Va., is to be avoided for themembers' benefit."

On Monday, Summersville Mayor Stanley Adkins said he had not heardabout the new CAA policy. The city has about 2,700 residents.

"I plan to call them and see if effective enforcement is the realreason," Adkins said. "We don't give a ticket to anyone unless theygo more than 11 miles over the speed limit."

Today, a typical speeding fine for those ticketed in Summersvilleis $139.

But when CAA members ask for advice on which routes to take ontrips, they will be told to continue south on Interstate 79. "If youhave requested the I-79/I-77 route to the southeastern U.S., and youare accustomed to driving down the U.S. 19 in West Virginia, you willnotice that we have redirected you through Charleston, W.Va.,instead," a CAA memo to various chapters says.

"CAA Central Ontario has made the moral and ethical decision tobypass this 'excessive speed enforcement' highway," said the memo,sent on April 19.

"Since this is generally considered to solely benefit the town ofSummersville, W.Va., there has been a siege of protest," the memostated. "Police continue to relentlessly tag motorists in this area."

Adkins said he might invite officials from the CAA to Summersvilleto look at the situation firsthand.

Jim Holthaus, executive director of the Southern West VirginiaConvention & Visitors Bureau in Beckley, forwarded copies of the CAAmemos to his 20 board members Monday morning.

"CAA is the largest auto travel planner in Ontario," Holthaussaid. "They send a lot of traffic this way. If motorists go throughCharleston first, then to Beckley, that will cut off Summersville,Fayetteville, Oak Hill and Mount Hope.

"A tremendous amount of tourist traffic will not see the biggesticon of the entire state - the New River Gorge Bridge," Holthaussaid. "They will not come in contact with whitewater rafting."

Holthaus believes the CAA memo could create "an opportunity foreveryone involved to get together, be practical and come up with goodresults."

He said many people mentioned Summersville to him when he recentlyattended a tourism trade show at the Old Mill in Toronto, theprovincial capital of Ontario. "Some of these people live 1,000 milesaway."

Holthaus said law enforcement officials must be part of thesolution to the growing controversy. "Police can be greatambassadors, a tremendous asset to tourism."

Talking about Canadian travelers, Holthaus said, "A huge number of'snowbirds' go down South every winter and come back up through ourarea. What happens if they start taking I-81 [through Virginia] or I-75 [through Kentucky and Tennessee]?

"That would be a tremendous loss. Could it happen? Yes. They couldstay away from West Virginia completely," he said.

He called for an effort to solve the problem.

"Many people may not see the immediate value of a person passingthrough our area," Holthaus said.

He pointed out they stop and spend money and there is a spin-offeffect from the money they spend. "They go into our school system andall our tax-based programs. We need to come up with a practical wayto solve this."

A group called the National Motorists Association maintains anInternet site that has state-by-state comments on "speed traps."While it is not a scientific survey, the results are interesting.

Drivers have posted comments about 24 West Virginia towns andcities, including one comment about each of 19 cities, two commentsabout four cities (Capon Bridge, Charleston, Fayetteville andHuntington) and 34 comments about Summersville. The site iswww.speedtrap.org.

At the end of the 2000 fiscal year, Summersville had accumulated a$2.2 million budget surplus.

During that year alone, the Nicholas County city took in $966,459in fines and court costs and another $277,510 for a "driving school"available in town or on the Internet.

To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164.