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Chapter 1 THE FESTIVAL AREA
Chapter 2 ATTENDANCE
Chapter 3 TRAFFIC
The System of Roads
Exhibits and Special Events
* * * * *
Estimated 1954 Attendance
Estimated Festival Attendance
Month-to-Month Variations
Origin of Visitors
Eating Facilities
Housing
Estimate of Available Rooms
Distribution of Available Rooms
Demand for and Supply of Available Rooms
Maximum Number of Overnight Guests Which Can be Lodged
Traffic Trends, 1950-1954
Normal Growth in Total Traffic
Seasonal Traffic Patterns ..
Weekly Traffic Pattern
The Effect of the Festival
Average Daily Traffic During Festival
Festival Traffic by Routes
Monthly Variation in Festival Traffic
Volumes and Route Capacity
The Jamestown Ferry
3
14
14
16
17
17
17
20
20
22
22
22
23
25
29
[i]
Chapter 4 TRAFFIC CONTROL
One-Way Street System
Critical Points
Traffic Control Devices
Chapter 5 VISITOR INFORMATION
Festival Reception Center
Festival Information Stations
Chapter 6 PARKING
Williamsburg Parking
Jamestown Parking
Glasshouse Point Parking
Yorktown Parking
Reception Center Parking
Cost of Parking Areas
31
31
33
35
37
37
37
43
44
46
47
47
47
47
[i]
9%/0/3/a4%
Table
Number Page
2-1 Estimated Festival Attendance by Months 9
2-2 Festival Attendance by States and Regions 9
2-3 Unoccupied Rooms by Months During 1954 13
2-4 Estimates of Rooms Available for Use by Festival Visitors 14
2-5 Availability and Use of Rooms by Months 16
2-6 Maximum Number of Overnight Guests 16
3-1 Average Daily Traffic—Routes in the Festival Area 18
3-2 Normal Average Daily Traffic Entering and Leaving Williamsburg by Class
of Vehicle and Primary Route 18
3-3 Estimated Normal Average Daily Traffic Entering and Leaving Williams-
burg by Months, 1957 20
3-4 Estimates of Average Daily Traffic Entering and Leaving Williamsburg by
Class of Vehicle 22
3-5 Estimated Average Daily Traffic Entering and Leaving Williamsburg by
Primary Route and Class of Vehicle During Festival 25
3-6 Average Daily Traffic During Festival by Months 25
3-7 Average Daily Traffic and Route Capacity: Saturdays in Festival Period ...... 28
3-8 Average Daily Traffic and Route Capacity: Mondays Through Thursdays in
Festival Period 28
3-9. Average Daily Traffic and Route Capacity: Holidays in Festival Period ............ 30
5-1 Composition of Traffic at Information Station Locations 42
6-1 Parking Area Costs 47
[iii)
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Figure No. Page
1-1 Major Roads Leading to Lower Peninsula ... 2
1-2 The Festival Area 3
2-1 Estimated Origin of Festival Visitors 10
2-2 Estimated Rooms Available in Festival Period 12
2-3 Rooms and Attendance 1957 15
3-1 Monthly Variation in Average Daily Traffic 19
3-2 Daily Variation in Average Daily Traffic 21
3-3 Composition of Festival Traffic 23
3-3A Festival Average Daily Traffic 24
3-4 Monthly Variation in Festival Traffic 26
3-5 Daily Variation in Festival Traffic 27
4-1 Proposed One-Way Street Plan, Williamsburg 32
4-2 Traffic Conflicts Five-Leg Intersection, Existing Street System .............................. 34
4-3 Traffic Conflicts Five-Leg Intersection, One-Way Street System ........................ 34
4-4 Typical Festival Destination Sign 35
5-1 Festival Reception Center 38
5-2 Routing Plan to Reception Center 39
5-3 Festival Information Station 40
5-4 Proposed Location of Information Stations - 41
6-1 Williamsburg Parking Lots 45
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HE Lower Peninsula of Tidewater Vir-
ginia is roughly defined by Chesapeake
Bay on the east, the York River on the
north, the James River on the south and
the indentation made by the mouth of the
Chickahominy River on the west. It is
about thirty miles in length, has a mean
width of something over five miles, and,
in shape, may be unromantically described
as being something like a drumstick with
one bite out of the middle. Two Counties,
James City and York, comprise the west-
ern, rural part of the peninsula, and the
cities of Hampton, Newport News, and
Warwick occupy the eastern tip. The
population of the area, according to the
1950 Census, was slightly Over 113,000.
The Lower Peninsula is supercharged
with historical interest. To the triangle
formed by Jamestown, Williamsburg, and
Yorktown can be traced the institution of
our culture, the heaviest single influence
on our political ideology, and the military
success which made possible our existence
as an independent political entity. Within
the confines of this triangle the colonial
era was born, matured, and died.
Americans who seek inspiration from
and information about the nation's past
of necessity are attracted eventually to the
Lower Peninsula, and it has been the scene
of several expositions which have sought
to Commemorate anniversaries of histori-
cal significance. In 1881 and again in 1931
a properly humble General O’Harra has
delivered up Cornwallis's sword at York-
town. The settlement at Jamestown was
celebrated in 1907 by an extensive Centen-
nial which lasted for seven months and
attracted visitors and exhibitions from all
over the world. Of a more permanent na-
ture, the restoration of Williamsburg is an
enduring tribute to the importance of the
Colonial period and of the men who made
it great.
Plans of Considerable magnitude are now
being laid for the celebration in 1957 of
the 350th anniversary of the settlement at
Jamestown. Although this affair will be
known as the Jamestown Festival, it will
be Composed of a number of special func-
tions and exhibitions in several parts of
Virginia but principally in Jamestown,
Yorktown, and Williamsburg. The efforts
of a Federal and a State commission are
being directed toward the development
of appropriate activities, and if the plans
now Contemplated are carried into execu-
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tion the Ter-Centennial, which was no
small undertaking, will look by Compar-
ison like a Sunday school picnic. Indeed,
in 1957 the economy of the entire state
should be bolstered by the celebration,
and it is probable that it will have a lasting
effect on the tourist trade, an important
source of the state's income.
The System of Roads
Considering the natural barriers form-
ed by the rivers and the many fingers of
the Chesapeake Bay that jut into the coast-
line both north and south of the Lower
Peninsula, the area is well served with
roads and the motorist has a high degree
of flexibility in the choice of his route and
direction of travel. The major arteries
leading into and out of the area are Route
17, which joins Route 1 at Fredericksburg
and extends through Yorktown to the
Newport News Ferry and south; Route 60,
which together with Route 168, brings
traffic from Richmond, through Williams-
burg, into Newport News and Hampton,
and across the ferry at Willoughby Spit to
Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Traffic from
the south uses Route 13 to Suffolk or
Route 258 to Smithfield, and from either
of these towns any of several roads to reach
a particular part of the Peninsula. Route
31 leads south from the Jamestown Ferry
and Route 5 extends east through the
Peninsula from an intersection with
Route 31 just south of Williamsburg to
Richmond. It is this road which connects
the area with Hopewell and Petersburg
by way of the Hopewell Ferry and which
provides access to Brandon, Shirley and
other old plantations along the James
River which are favorite garden tour stops.
The focal point of the roads in the Fes-
tival Area is Williamsburg, although it is
possible for a motorist to by-pass the city
by means of Route 168. Leading into the
city from the east and west are Routes
60 and 168 and, from the north and
south Route 31 and the Colonial Parkway.
At present the Colonial Parkway goes
from Yorktown to Williamsburg and
Route 31 from Williamsburg to James-
town, but by 1957 the Colonial Parkway
will be extended from Williamsburg al-
most directly south to the James River
where it will turn sharply west and pro-
Ceed along a system of causeways to James-
town Island. Route 31 will lead along a
portion of Route 618 to a new ferry slip
west of the present one, which is to be
abandoned. The old part of Route 31 ex-
tending southwest from the present inter-
section with Route 618 will terminate
short of the Parkway. A new approach to
Williamsburg will be furnished by Route
132 which will intersect with Route 168
and, in the city, the Parkway. The system
of roads in the Festival Area as it will be
in 1957 is shown in Figure 1-2.
Exhibits and Special Events
The extensive plans of Festival authori-
ties for celebrations throughout the state
and abroad have been outlined elsewhere
and there is no need to recapitulate them
here except insofar as they affect the traf.
fic which is expected to make use of the
roads in the Lower Peninsula. The activi-
ties specifically planned for Yorktown will
have the most impact on roads under the
jurisdiction of the National Park Service
and are not within the scope of this report.
However, the reconstructions and exhibits
[3]
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planned for Jamestown Island and Glass-
house Point, which is located not far from
Jamestown near the mouth of Powhatan
Creek, will have a pronounced effect on
traffic patterns in the area, especially the
usage of the new section of the Colonial
Parkway. In this area present plans call
for the reconstruction of the Third State
House, a replica of James Fort, a reception
Center, a restaurant, buildings to house
art displays, replicas of the three ships
which brought the settlers from England,
a restoration of the Glass Works, domestic,
craft, and agricultural exhibits. Nearer
Williamsburg, adjacent to the campus of
the College of William and Mary, may be
the Festival Exhibition Area and the Lake
Matoaka Amphitheatre where a historic
drama will be presented. In Williamsburg
several new restorations will be made
which will add to the already high level
of attractiveness of the city. -
The special events which are now
planned for this country are:
(1) Cape Henry celebration (April 26,
1957), Commemorating the landing and
planting of the cross by the settlers. This is
envisioned as primarily a religious obser-
vance with the Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Lord Bishop of London, the Presiding
Bishop of the United States, the Bishop of
Southern Virginia, and others in atten-
dance.
(2) Old Point Comfort celebration
(April 30, 1957), Commemorating the
landing at Old Point, the oldest fortified
place in English-speaking America. This
is envisioned as primarily a military ob-
SCTV2.11CC.
(3) Hampton Roads celebration (May
2, 1957), Commemorating the landing at
Newport News. It has been suggested that
this should celebrate the founding of the
port of Hampton Roads. -
(4) Jamestown Settlement celebration
(May 13, 1957), commemorating the
settlers' arrival at Jamestown. It is proposed
that the President of the United States
should visit Jamestown on this day, and
that the official opening of the museum,
parkway, and restored Capitol, and the
first performance of the Jamestown drama
in Matoaka Amphitheatre should take
place.
(5) Royal D o m in i on celebration
(June 16, 1957), commemorating the dis-
solution of the London Company, in 1624,
and the establishment of Virginia as a Roy-
al Dominion. It is proposed that Queen
Elizabeth II of England be invited to be
present for this occasion.
(6) G en era 1 Assembly celebration
(July 30, 1957), Commemorating the Con-
vening of the first session, on July 30, 16-
19, of the Virginia legislature, next to the
British Parliament, the oldest legislative
body in the English-speaking world. It is
suggested that Sir Winston Churchill and
Lady Astor be guests of honor, as the Vir-
ginia General Assembly convenes in com-
memorative session at the Church at
Jamestown.
(7) Prelude to Independence Pro-
gram (May 15-July 4, 1957). It is propos-
ed that Colonial Williamsburg celebrate
this period, leading from the adoption of
the Virginia Resolves for Independence,
adopted in Williamsburg on May 15, 17-
76, to the enactment of the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776, with an
enlarged program of activities.
(8) Yorktown Day (October 19, 1957),
[6]
commemorating the end of the colonial
period with the winning of independence
at Yorktown.
(9) Treaty of Paris Day (November
30, 1957), Commemorating the 175th an-
niversary of the completion of agreement
in 1782 by the Commissioners, at the Paris
Peace Conference, whereby Great Britain
recognized the independence of the thir-
teen original colonies. This will be the
final special event of the anniversary year.
The sections which follow present ex-
aminations of particular aspects of the Fes-
tival, especially the impact that it will
have on Virginia's highway system. At the
present time many of the plans for Festi-
val activities have not matured and some
parts of this study must be tentative in
nature. For this reason an effort has been
made to present many of the topics that
are discussed in a step-by-step fashion so
that if the conditions that governed the
basic assumptions change the estimates
and plans can be changed accordingly.
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URING the past few years the num-
ber of visitors to the attractions in
the Festival Area has increased sharply,
reaching an estimated total of 750,000 to
1,000,000 in 1954. If the normal trend were
extended, the total for 1957 could be ex-
pected to be 950,000 to 1,150,000; but the
added attraction of the Festival and the
many special events planned in Connection
with it should result in a total attendance
for the Festival year of 2,500,000 to
3,000,000. The basis for this estimate and
certain special characteristics of the ex-
pected attendance are discussed in the sec-
tions that follow.
Estimated 1954 Attendance
The data available for current attend-
ance are confined to certain information
collected by Colonial Williamsburg and the
traffic counts on roads in the Festival Area.
The records kept by Colonial Williamsburg
include the numbers of people who paid
admissions to attractions, the number of
meals served in the restaurants owned by
the Corporation, and the number of guests
spending the night in the Williamsburg
Inn and Lodge. These data provide an in-
Complete picture of total attendance, but
they are very useful when considered in
connection with the traffic counts. They do
not reflect conditions in the area as a
whole; however, it seems certain that the
number of visitors who came either to
Yorktown or to Jamestown without also en-
tering Williamsburg is fairly small. There-
fore, Considering data from all sources, the
following estimates of 1954 attendance can
be made.
Three percent of the Virginia cars enter-
ing and leaving Williamsburg visited the
area; the Occupancy of the average Virginia
Car was 2.2 persons. Twenty percent of the
out-of-state cars entering and leaving Wil-
liamsburg visited the area; these cars had
an average OCCupancy of 2.7 persons. Ap-
plying these figures to the 1954 traffic count
(which is given in detail in Chapter III), it
is found that 440 Virginia cars carrying 970
persons and 435 out-of-state cars carrying
1,170 persons stopped each day for sight-
seeing. Virginia residents averaged 1.25
days in Williamsburg, out-of-state residents
1.5 days. Adding up, it is seen that average
daily attendance at Williamsburg was about
3,OOO, and, if the number of visitors to
Yorktown and Jamestown alone be in-
[8]
cluded, a total average daily attendance for
the Festival Area of about 4,000 is obtained.
Estimated Festival Attendance
During the Festival the average daily at-
tendance should jump to 11,800, roughly
treble the figure for 1954. Traffic projec-
tions, discussed more fully in the next
chapter, indicate that about 3,000 vehicles
a day are to be expected and the Occupancy
ratio should be about 2.6. Each person is
estimated to stay in the area an average of
1.5 days. At this rate, total attendance days
for the Festival period would be about
2,700,000, a figure which may be compared
to 1954 attendance days of 1,100,000 for
Williamsburg alone.
Of the total cars estimated to arrive each
day, 51.5% (1,545 cars) will be Virginia ve-
hicles and 48.5% (1,455) will be foreign.
The average Virginia car will carry 2.5
persons, the average out-of-state Car, 2.7.
The average length of stay will be 1.4 days
for Virginians and 1.7 days for non-Vir-
ginians.
Month-to-Month Variations
Within the Festival period there will be
a pronounced seasonal pattern as shown in
TABLE 2-1
ESTIMATED FESTIVAL ATTEND-
ANCE BY MONTHS
Month Average Daily Total Attendance-
Attendance Days
April --~~~~~ 14,000 420,000
May --~~~~~ 12:250 380,000
June — 11,750 350,000
July --~~~~ 11,750 360,000
August …~~~ ... 12,500 390,000
September ........ 11,250 340,000
October ................ 11,500 355,000
November … 9,000 135,000 (half-month)
Total 2,730,000
Average Daily Attendance
(Entire Festival) --~~~~ ... 11,800
TABLE 2-2
FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE BY
STATES AND REGIONS
State or Region Percentage of
Attendance
Virginia 51.50%
Maryland and Delaware 4.00
North Carolina 5.25
Kentucky and Tennessee 1.75
West Virginia 1.50
New England 3.25
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania — 17.00
Southeast 4.25
Great Lakes 7.50
North Central 1.50
South Central 1.00
Far West 1.50
Total 100.00%
Table 2-1. The seasonal variation found in
the various data of Colonial Williamsburg,
as well as the effect of Garden Week and
the date of Easter, have influenced this dis-
tribution. April is expected to be the peak
month. August will also be higher than the
normal for the period, but still consider-
ably short of April. By November the at-
tendance rate should be declining rapidly.
Origin of Visitors
The origin of visitors to the Festival
should not differ greatly from the origin of
tourists now coming to Virginia. The con-
tribution of various states and regions to
total Festival attendance is shown in Table
2-2.
Eating Facilities
Information furnished by the State De-
partment of Health indicates that there will
be no shortage of eating places in the Festi-
val Area. Undoubtedly, however, most
restaurants will enjoy an abnormally large
trade, and proprietors should be en-
couraged to make whatever provisions are
necessary to insure that the increase in
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North Central 1.50
Great Lakes 7.50
Southeast 4.25
South Central 1.00
Figures are the percent of total attendance
originating in the indicated state or region







their clientele can be served speedily and
without confusion. As Quittmeyer points
out, Virginia Cooking enjoys a good repu-
tation nationally, and foreign visitors are
likely to expect something out of the ordi-
nary from Festival Area food establish-
ments. Certainly an effort should be made
to encourage a degree of cleanliness and
neatness above the Health Department's
minimum. It is possible that special aid
could be given to its members in the Festi-
val Area by the Virginia Restaurant Asso-
ciation and that non-members could be
reached through the Health Department.
Housing
Undoubtedly many visitors will wish to
remain in the Festival Area overnight. The
discussion which follows provides an esti-
mate of rooms available which indicates
that within a 50-mile radius of the area
there will be a sufficient number of ac-
commodations for the people who are ex-
pected to want to use them, but this ma-
terial must be used with some caution.
First, because of a lack of information on
the subject, there has been no attempt
made to evaluate the quality of the rooms
available. What is called a room here can
be something princely in its appointments
and price tag, or it can be so modest as to
have barely escaped Health Department
Condemnation.
Secondly, it has been assumed that visi-
tors will stay as far as 50 miles away in
order to attend the Festival. Countless traf-
fic surveys have demonstrated that the
average person is displeased if he cannot
park his car on the very doorstep of his
(1) Charles L. Quittmeyer,The Virginia Travel Trade
(Richmond: The Advisory Council on the Virginia Econo-
my, 1951) II, 152.
destination, and this experience would lead
one to believe that the same tendency will
prevail during the Festival—most overnight
visitors will want to stay in Williamsburg
or very near it. In the case of very powerful
attractions many visitors are apt to expect
overcrowded conditions and have no ob-
jection to staying a good distance away from
the area, but to assume that on an average
day a visitor will be content to drive a
round trip distance of even 75 miles would
be quite risky.
There is a third consideration, however,
which tends to support the proposition that
accommodations will be adequate. It will
be noticed below that the increase in the
number of tourist home rooms that will be
available by 1957 has been estimated at
only 1oo and it has been assumed that these
will be in Williamsburg and James City
County. The increase will be larger than
this, but just how much larger is anybody's
guess. In the opinion of an official of the
Health Department, the 50-mile area can
Contribute as many as 5,000 tourist home
rooms more than are now available, but not
enough is known of quality and location to
include these rooms in the present estimate,
which is based on information obtained
from the State Health Department and
other sources.
The area within a 50-mile radius of Wil-
liamsburg embraces 24 counties, wholly or
in part. Some of the larger counties on the
periphery, notably Hanover and Dinwid-
die, are more outside of the circle than
within it, but, because Complete informa-
tion was not available for areas smaller than
an entire county, they were included, The
counties in the Upper Peninsula which
were within the 50-mile radius were ex-
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[12]
cluded because of the difficulties of direct
travel from the Upper to the Lower Penin-
sula and also because of the small number
of rooms in these counties. The area actual-
ly under consideration has been divided
into five sections: the Middle Peninsula,
the Lower Peninsula, the Norfolk-Virginia
Beach Area, the Southside Area, and the
Richmond-Petersburg Area.
In the whole area a total of over 16,700
rooms was available for overnight use in
1954. Of this total, 1 1,178 were hotel
rooms, 3,462 were in motor Courts, and
2,091 were tourist home rooms. On the
basis of 1954 OCCupancy data, at least 4,600
of these rooms were unoccupied during the
peak month. Of these unoccupied rooms,
3, 146 were in hotels, 779 in motor Courts,
and 717 in tourist homes. Excluding those
in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach,
and Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties,
a total of 1,900 rooms was unoccupied
during peak occupancy months. These
1,900 rooms were distributed by types as
follows: hotels, 807 rooms; motor Courts,
649 rooms; and tourist homes, 444 rooms.
In order to obtain some idea of the pro-
bable expansion in the number of rooms,
Williamsburg and James City County were
isolated from the balance of the area. Then
it was assumed that by 1957 hotel and
motor court rooms would increase by 10%
over the number of rooms available on
January 1, 1955. On this basis, a total of
15,300 hotel and motor Court rooms will
be available by 1957 outside of Williams-
burg but in the 50-mile area. No account
was taken of tourist home rooms which are
reserved for separate treatment below.
In Williamsburg, reliable data on plan-
ned expansion are available. About 1,220
rooms were in service at the first of 1955
(383 hotel rooms, 328 motor Court rooms,
and 507 tourist home rooms.) By 1957,
307 hotel and motor court rooms will be
added and loo new tourist home rooms
are expected to be made available for use.
By 1957, some 1,625 rooms will be in Wil-
liamsburg. In addition to new rooms, some
allowance must be made for rooms which in
the past were occupied by tourists who
could be expected to attend the Festival.
In Williamsburg, the percentage of rooms
occupied by tourists would certainly be
high.
Estimate of Available Rooms
In the 50-mile area, but excluding Wil-
liamsburg and James City County, the
number of unoccupied rooms by months
for 1954 is shown in Table 2-3.
To the unoccupied rooms noted in this
table, the number of rooms in Williams-
burg available for use by Festival visitors
must be added. Of the total of 1,625 rooms
to be available by 1957, it is estimated that
1,500 will be available for the accommoda-
tion of Festival visitors. Next, the number
of rooms occupied in the past by tourists
TABLE 2-3
UNOCCUPIED ROOMS, BY MONTHS,
DURING 1954 (EXCLUDING WIL-
LIAMSBURG AND JAMES CITY CO.)
Unoccupied Rooms Total
Month Hotel Motor Tourist Unoccupied
Court Home Rooms
January ............... 5,036 1,447 1,259 7,742
February ............ 4,698 1,262 1,207 7,167
March .................. 4,365 1,291 1,160 6,816
April … 3,395 1,201 617 5,213
May … 3,835 1,370 708 5,913
June … 3,967 967 706 5,640
July ~...~~~~ 3,242 776 734 4,752
August … 3,123 778 714 4,615
September ...... 3,471 1,138 873 5,482
October ............... 3,852 1,258 846 5,956
November ......... 5,139 1,551 1,011 7,701
December ......... 6,161 1,912 1,309 9,382
[13]
;
TABLE 2-4
ESTIMATE OF ROOMS AVAILABLE FOR USE BY FESTIVAL
VISITORS
Rooms Hotel & Motor
Occupied Court Rooms to Total
Unoccupied Williamsburg in Past by be Added and Rooms
Month Rooms Rooms Tourists Available Available
April … 5,213 1,500 920 350 8,000
May … 5,913 1,500 850 350 8,600
June … 5,640 1,500 875 350 8,350
July … 4,752 1,500 950 350 7,550
August … 4,615 1,500 975 350 7,450
September ......... 5,482 1,500 900 350 8,200
October ............... 5,956 1,500 850 350 8,650
November ......... 7,701 1,500 700 350 10,250
Note: Col. 1 “Unoccupied Rooms” is the sum of unoccupied rooms of all types during the 1954 year in the 50-mile area
exclusive of Williamsburg and James City County.
Col. 2 “Williamsburg Rooms” is based on the assumption that 1,500 of the 1,625 rooms which will be in service by 1957
will be available for Festival visitors.
Col. 3 “Rooms Occupied in Past by Tourists” is an estimate of 1954 occupancy in the 50-mile area exclusive of Wil-
liamsburg and James City County which is attributed to tourists who could be expected to attend the Festival. This esti-
mate is conservatively set at 10% of the occupied rooms of all types.
Col. 4 “Hotel and Motor Court Rooms to be Added and Available” is one-quarter of the estimated 10% expansion in
hotel and motor court rooms expected by 1957. These figures represent the estimated number of rooms available for use
by Festival visitors excluding any increase in the number of tourist home rooms outside of Williamsburg. 100 additional
tourist home rooms are expected to be added in Williamsburg by 1957.
is estimated and finally, the number of new
rooms to be added by 1957 is estimated.
Table 2-4 shows both of the estimates by
months as well as the total number of rooms
estimated as available for occupancy by
Festival visitors.
Distribution of Available Rooms
Of the total unoccupied rooms noted in
Table 2-4, approximately one-half were to
be found in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach
area. A substantial portion, about one-third
on the average, is in the Richmond-Peters-
burg area. The Middle Peninsula and
Southside sections account for less than 8%
and in these areas a total of less than 650
rooms was in service during 1954. The most
desirable rooms from the point of view of
location will be those in the Lower Penin-
sula and westward toward Richmond. The
large number that are in the Norfolk-Vir-
ginia Beach area can be reached from the
Festival Area directly only by way of the
Old Point Comfort ferry and rooms at Vir-
ginia Beach command a premium price
during the summer. Accommodations in
the Middle Peninsula and the Southside
suffer the disadvantage of being most
directly connected with the Lower Penin-
sula by means of a toll bridge and toll ferry
respectively.
Demand for and Supply of Available
Rooms
From the preceding estimates, the fol-
lowing Comparisons between the number
of available rooms and the demand for
overnight accommodations can be made.
The number of available rooms is taken
from Table 2-4. From Table 2-1 (Esti-
mated Festival Attendance by Months), it
is estimated that on the average one-half
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TABLE 2-5
AVAILABILITY AND USE OF ROOMS BY MONTHS
Number Number of Rooms
Available Available
Month Rooms Room Demand but Unused
April 8,000 3,500 4,500
May 8,600 3,060 5,540
June 8,350 2,950 5,400
July 7,550 2,950 4,600
August 7,450 3,125 4,325
September 8,200 2,800 5,400
October 8,650 2,875 5,775
November 10,250 2,250 8,000
of those attending will desire rooms. It is TABLE 2-6
further assumed that each room will be
OCCupied by two persons. Table 2-5 sum-
marizes this information by months.
On the basis of the foregoing assump-
tions, average room demand will be con-
siderably less than average supply but it
must be emphasized that this conclusion is
based only on the average levels prevailing
throughout an entire month.
Maximum Number of Overnight Guests
Which Can Be Lodged
From Table 2-5, estimates of the maxi-
mum number of guests which can be ac-
Commodated are derived. Again assuming
two persons per available room and full
utilization of every available room, these
estimates are shown by month in Table 2-6.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF OVER-
NIGHT GUESTS
Maximum
Month Number of Guests
April 16,000
May 17,200
June 16,700
July 15,100
August 14,900
September 16,400
October 17,300
November 20,500
It seems reasonable to assume that during
special events or major attractions at least
half of the visitors would be Virginia resi-
dents or travelers who will not require
lodging within the area. On this assumption
the number of visitors would be at least
double the number which could be lodged
in the area. Thus, attendance could exceed
30,000 a day without there being undue
difficulty in finding lodging.
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ISITORS to the Yorktown Sesquicen-
tennial remember with some pain the
almost solid line of automobiles that inched
its way along the road from Richmond to
the Lower Peninsula on October 17. Whe-
ther or not the same conditions will prevail
during the Jamestown Festival, when
crowds exceeding by far those that gathered
in 1931 are expected, is a question that
must be considered. How many vehicles
will bring people to the Festival? Can the
present network of roads in the Lower Pen-
insula accommodate them? The sections
that follow attempt to provide answers to
these questions and furnish some addition-
al information about the traffic the Festival
is expected to generate.
Traffic Trends, 1950-1954
Table 3-1 shows the average daily traffic
on all important routes in the Festival Area
for the years 1950 through 1954. Daily
traffic volumes on all roads in the area have
increased substantially except on Route 60
north between Route 60Z and the city
limits of Williamsburg. Since the develop-
ment of Route 168 this section of Route 60
has become more of a local service road
than a principal artery.
Local conditions, particularly the de-
velopment of new residential sections be-
tween Williamsburg and Newport News,
have exerted some influence on traffic vol-
umes, but the figures also reflect the rising
number of visitors to Williamsburg as well
as the general increase in travel that has
been prevalent in the state as a whole. Not
shown in Table 3-1 is Route 31 from its
intersection with Route 5 to Jamestown
and over the ferry. In 1950, the average
daily traffic on this road between Route 5
and Jamestown was 1170 vehicles. By 1954
this figure had increased to 1620. Average
daily ferry traffic rose from 157 vehicles in
1950 to 250 in 1954. On the south side of
the river daily volumes increased from 380
to 62o. Also excluded, because of lack of
data for the period in question, is the Colo-
nial Parkway from Williamsburg to York-
town. In 1954 this road carried an average
of 1,350 vehicles per day.
Normal Growth in Total Traffic
The first step toward an estimate of the
number of vehicles expected during the
Festival must be a projection of the normal
trend. In order to simplify the procedure
it is assumed that all of the traffic attracted
[17]
TABLE 3-1
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC: ROUTES IN THE FESTIVAL AREA
Route 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
31-N 1175 1100 II 85 1400 1700
31-S 1750 1950 2200 2550 2430
60-N 1800 1700 1575 1420 1800
60-E 2800 2800 3560 4230 4340
60-Z 4485 4200 5000 4450 5330
162 1230 1800 2020 1910 2700
163 250 230 300 320 465
168 1825 2100 3600 3500 3730
Total" ~~~~~~~~ 15,315 15,880 19,440 19,780 22,495
Per Cent increase
over previous year 3.68 22.41 1.74 16.00
*=sº
*Excludes the Colonial Parkway from Williamsburg to Yorktown.
to the area will pass through Williamsburg.
This seems reasonable enough, since it is
improbable that more than a negligible
number of vehicles will enter the area by
means of the Yorktown Bridge or the
Jamestown Ferry and leave the same way
without coming far enough north or south
to enter the city.
A projection of the 1953-54 average daily
traffic on the routes entering Williamsburg
(20,125 including the Colonial Parkway
but excluding Route 168) yields a figure
for 1957 of 23, 100 vehicles per day. The
composition of this traffic by origin of ve-
hicle and by individual route is shown in
Table 3-2.
The largest numerical increase will be
in Virginia vehicles, but present trends
indicate that in proportion to the total, the
number of foreign cars will increase more
TABLE 3-2
NORMAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC ENTERING AND
LEAVING WILLIAMSBURG BY CLASS OF VEHICLE
AND PRIMARY ROUTE
Foreign Cars
Other Vehicles Total
Route Virginia Cars
1953-54 1957 1953-54
31N … 1,304 1,350 284
31S “…~~~~~~ 1,855 1,200 337
60N …~~~~~ 1,453 1,600 74
60E … 3,450 3,750 554
60Z ~~~~~~~~~~~ 4,325 4,550 379
1327 ºn--"........” - 825 *-*.
162 “… 1,928 2,175 479
163 “… 394 450 57
Col. Pway. E. ............... 1,000 1,125 300
Col. Pway. W.” ......... * 900 *-e
Total ....…. 15,709 17,925 2,464
1957 1953-54 1957 1953-54 1957
300 120 130 1,708 1,780
150 238 220 2,430 1,570
80 275 300 1,802 1,980
600 337 360 4,341 4,710
425 626 700 5,330 5,675
125 * 100 * 1,050
550 293 325 2,700 3,050
70 13 15 464 535
350 50 75 1,350 1,550
250 *-*. 50 *E. 1,200
2,900 1,952 2,275 20,125 23,100
#Proposed connection between Route 168 and Colonial Parkway.
*New route to be constructed between Williamsburg and Jamestown.
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rapidly. Most of the out-of-state vehicles
will appear on Routes 60Z, 60 east of Wil-
liamsburg, 31 at the southwest city limits,
132, and 162. The total increase will be
about 14-y/3%, without the effects of the
Festival being taken into consideration.
The Construction of the Colonial Park-
way from Williamsburg to Jamestown will
divert traffic from Route 31 south to such
an extent that a decline in the number of
vehicles using Route 31 south can be ex-
pected. Similarly, the connection between
Route 168 and the Colonial Parkway,
Route 132, is expected to attract traffic
which ordinarily would have used Route
31 between Williamsburg and Route 168;
therefore, the increase in traffic using Route
31 north will be slight.
Seasonal Traffic Patterns
The average daily traffic figure for an en-
tire year is of relatively little value in plan-
ning for shorter periods since the type and
amount of travel show much variation
throughout the year. Consequently, esti-
mates of the month-to-month variation in
travel in the Williamsburg area have been
prepared. Figure 3-1 shows the monthly
variation in travel in the Williamsburg
Area. This chart shows that January, Feb-
ruary and March are below average. April
is the high month of the year with travel
about 30% above the average. The seasonal
pattern then shows a decline from April to
May, but May is still some 10% above
average. A slight increase is noted for June,
July is about the same, and then a second
peak occurs in August. September marks
the beginning of a decline that continues
until the end of the year. Table 3-3 presents
the estimates of average daily traffic expec-
ted by months during 1957 if only normal
traffic growth were experienced.
To sum up, the first and last quarters of
the year are below average while the middle
half is above average. The yearly peak is in
April and a second peak is in August.
Weekly Traffic Pattern
In addition to the month-to-month vari-
ation a noticeable weekly pattern exists
which is interdependent with the monthly
variation. Figure 3-2 shows this pattern.
Monday through Thursday are about 90%
of average, Friday is about average, while
Saturday and Sunday are well above aver-
age. Saturday traffic is approximately 25%
above average travel and Sunday traffic is
up nearly 20% over average. Much of the
Saturday traffic peak is the result of an in-
crease of domestic vehicles rather than
TABLE 3-3
ESTIMATED NORMAL AVERAGE
DAILY TRAFFIC ENTERING AND
LEAVING WILLIAMSBURG BY
MONTHS, 1957
Month ADT
January 16,500
February 19,250
March 22,000
April 29,850
May 25,350
June 26,500
July 26,500
August 28,050
September 24,350
October 22,750
November 19,000
December 17,000
Average for year 23,100
foreign. Generally it appears that foreign lst two or three days of January up 10%
vehicle travel in the area is fairly even º:d º :
throughout the week. It should be noted May 29-31 up iš.
that this day-to-day variation is combined July 4th up 10%
with the monthly variation. Increased º wº Sun.) up º
* > e anksgiving (VVed.-Sun. up IU%
travel due to holidays and holiday week- December 22–26 ..... up 20%
ends is about as follows: December 30–31 up 10%
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The Effect of the Festival
Before stating any estimate of expected
increases in travel due to the Jamestown
Festival attractions, it must be empha-
sized that the promotional activities (both
the quantitative and qualitative aspects)
can affect tremendously the volume and
type of traffic. But even without special
advertising, it is reasonable to assume that
the availability of added features and sights
which would be open throughout the Festi-
val period will generate a substantial in-
crease in travel over and above the normal
increase to be expected by 1957.
Average Daily Travel During Festival
The estimates of traffic volumes expected
during the period of the 1957 celebration
include the combined effects of two separ-
ate and distinct increases. First, there is the
normal increase outlined above which
would occur even if the Festival were not
planned. In addition, the Festival itself will
generate an increase in traffic over and
above the normal. The former increase will
apply for the entire 1957 calendar year;
the latter will be active only during the
Festival period. Table 3-4 summarizes the
estimates of average daily traffic by class of
vehicle expected from April 1 to November
15, 1957. This period includes the months
of heaviest travel, and the balance of the
year, when travel should be light in Com-
parison, has been excluded.
From this table it can be seen that the
average daily traffic expected during the
Festival is estimated to be about 34% above
the 1953-54 average daily traffic with out-
of-state cars showing the greatest percentage
increase. Virginia cars show the largest in-
crease in numbers. The number of vehicles
actually bringing visitors to the Festival
will probably be about 3,000 a day. The
basis for estimating the percentage in-
creases for each class of vehicle is found in
the traffic generating effects of major at-
tractions which have been staged in Vir-
ginia plus a consideration of the attractive-
ness of the Williamsburg area to out-of
state visitors.
Festival Traffic by Routes
The estimated average daily traffic dur-
ing the Festival is distributed by primary
routes entering and leaving Williamsburg
as shown in Table 3-5.
This distribution of traffic by routes is
based on extensions of past traffic patterns
plus an assignment of traffic to the new
roads, Route 132 and the Colonial Park-
way to Jamestown. Obviously, all routes
will not show the same proportionate in-
crease. In considering and using these esti-
mates, certain factors must be recognized
TABLE 3-4
ESTIMATES OF AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC ENTERING AND
LEAVING WILLIAMSBURG BY CLASS OF VEHICLE
Estimated
Normal
Class of Vehicle 1953-54 1957 Traffic
Virginia Cars ............ 15,709 17,925
Foreign Cars ............ 2,464 2,900
Other Vehicles ......... 1,952 2,275
Total … 20,125 23,100
Increase Estimated Increase Increase
Over Festival Above Over
1953-54 Traffic Normal 1953-54
14% 20,600 15% 31%
17-y/4% 3,950 36% 60%
16-y/4% 2,450 8% 25%
14-y/4% 27,000 17% 34%
[22]
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and their probable effects evaluated.
Among these factors are: (1) The com-
pletion of the Colonial National Monu-
ment Parkway from Williamsburg to
Jamestown will certainly attract traffic
which now uses Route 31 southwest of Wil-
liamsburg, (2) The final location of the
reception center, parking lots, and other
new facilities may alter distribution of
traffic using the various routes. (3) There
are not enough data available to make ac-
[23]
curate estimates of the effect of the new
entrance to Williamsburg (Route 132).
However, the proposed location is such
that much of the traffic using Route 132
should be diverted from Route 31 north of
Williamsburg.
Monthly Variation in Festival Traffic
Table 3-5 presents estimates based on the
full period during which most or all of the
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[24]
TABLE 3-5
ESTIMATED AVERAGE DAILY TRAF-
FIC ENTERING AND LEAVING WIL-
LIAMSBURG BY PRIMARY ROUTE
AND CLASS OF VEHICLE DURING
FESTIVAL
Vehicles
Route Va. Cars For. Cars Other Total
31N …~~~~ 1,600 400 150 2,150
31S …~~~~ 1,000 150 200 1,350
60N … 1,600 100 300 2,000
60E …~~~~ 3,900 650 400 4,950
60Z ~…~~~~ 4,700 450 700 5,850
132 …~~~~ 1,000 250 75 1,325
162 …~~~~ 2,200 600 350 3,150
163 …~~~~ 500 100 50 650
Col. Pway. E. ............... 2,200 700 125 3,025
Col. Pway. W. ........... 1,900 550 100 2,550
Total ..… 20,600 3,950 2,450 27,000
Festival attractions will be available. No
consideration is given to special events of
a non-recurring nature; and no allowance
is made for the month-to-month variation
which is expected. However, Table 3-6
presents the estimates of average daily
traffic by months of the Festival period.
To reiterate, these estimates exclude the
effects of any major attractions or events
which are not to be continued throughout
the Festival; they represent basic amounts
to which the travel induced by special
activities must be added. The maximum
volumes of traffic which may be expected
should be estimated for each event but in
any case, the limiting factors before Con-
gestion results will be the capacity of the
highways leading to and from the area and
the availability of parking and other facili-
ties in the area.
Volumes and Route Capacity
In 1957 Williamsburg will be served di-
rectly from the north by Routes 31, 60, 60Z,
and 132; east by the Colonial Parkway;
south by Routes 60, 162, and 163; west by
Route 31 and the Colonial Parkway. The
Capacity of these roads will remain a con-
stant factor regardless of the variation in
traffic. For the entire year 1957, the capacity
of all of the roads in the area will be ade-
quate excepting that of Route 60 east of
the city and in this case the traffic can be
diverted to parallel Route 168 which has
ample room for it. But it must be remem-
bered that within the year there is a normal
monthly variation; that in 1957 the Festival
period will show an abnormally large in-
crease Over the average for the year; that
within the months there may be a weekly
variation; and, finally, within the weeks
there is a daily variation. Table 3-7 shows
the relationship of traffic to capacity during
the Festival period for the most unfavorable
day of the week—Saturday—when about
25% more cars than the average for the
week can be expected. It can be seen that
on this day of the week Route 60F will be
deficient in capacity during the entire
period and steps should be taken to divert
Some of the Cars on this road to Route 168.
Route 162 will be crowded beyond its capa-
city on Saturdays in April and August, and
some of its traffic should be diverted to
TABLE 3-6
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC IDURING
FESTIVAL BY MONTHS
Month Estimated ADT
April 31,250
May 26,750
June 27,750
July 27,750
August 29,250
September 25,500
October 24,500
November 19,500
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[27]
TABLE 3-7
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC AND ROUTE CAPACITY: SATURDAYS IN FESTIVAL PERIOD
Saturdays in
Route Capacity April May July Aug. Sept.
3IN 14000 4.7 5.5 • o - 5.7
31S 3500 1875 1.8 1600 2.2 * 675 2. 750 2. 1550 2.3
60N 3500 1.7 1.2 1.5 - e - 1.5
60E 3500 - -
60Z 8000 1.4 1.0 1.1 º * t 1.2
132 3500 2.6 1.9 1600 2.2
162 4000 1.3 1.1 º se - 1.1
163 2700 4.1 3.0 775 3.5
Col. . E. 9000 3.0 2.1 2.5 - e • 2.6
Col. . W. 3500 1.4 1.0 1.1 • * e 1.2
*Ratio Average Daily Traffic to Capacity tº Deficient in Capacity
TABLE 3-8
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC AND ROUTE CAPACITY: MONDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS IN
FESTIVAL PERIOD
Mondays through Thursdays in
3
Route Capacity A DT April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.
31N 14000 2150 6.5% 2275 6.1 1950 7.2 2025 6.9 || 2025 6.9 2125 6.6 | 1850 7.6 || 1775 7.9 || 1425 9.8
31S 3500 1350 2.6 || 1425 2.5 | 1225 2.9 | 1275 2.7 | 1275 2.7 || 1350 2.6 II 75 3.0 | 1125 3.1 900 3.9
60N 3500 2000 1.7 1.6 1.8 || 1975 1.8 || 1975 1.8 2000 1.7 1400 2.5
60E 3500 Tºgº.gººgºo Li
60Z 8000 1.3 5300 1.5 || 5500 1.5 5500 1.5 || 5750 1.4 3850 2.1
132 3500 1825 2.6 || 1400 2.5 | 1200 2.9 | 1250 2.8 | 1250 2.8 || 1300 2.7 |TI30 3.0 900 3.9
Tº T 4000 3150 1.3 || 3325 1.2 |2850 14 |2950 14 2950 14 || 3100 1.3 |2700 15 2075 1.9
163 2700 650 4.1 700 3.9 || 600 4.5 || 625 4.3 || 625 4.3 || 650 4.1 575 4.7 450 6.0
Col. Pway. E. 9000 3025 3.0 | 3200 2.7 |2725 3.3 2850 3.2 || 2850 3.2 || 3000 3.0 2600 3.5 2000 4.5
Col. Pway W.] 3500 2550 1.4 || 2700 1.3 |2300 1.5 |2400 1.5 || 2400 1.5 || 2525 1.4 2200 1.6 1675 2.1
*Ratio Average Daily Traffic to Capacity & Deficient in Capacity









Route 31 or the Colonial Parkway. Route
60Z and the Colonial Parkway west will be
crowded on Saturdays in April; here diver-
sion is not practical, but, fortunately, the
traffic using these roads should not be
greatly in excess of their capacity and con-
ditions should be tolerable.
On Sundays volumes will probably be
slightly lower than on Saturdays but the
same diversions should be made. Route 168
has been omitted from the table because
its capacity is more than double its antici-
pated Festival ADT.
From Monday through Thursday, as
Table 3-8 indicates, all of the roads will be
adequate with the exception of Route 60E,
where traffic can be diverted to Route 168.
On the holidays that occur during the Fes-
tival period, as shown in Table 3-9, several
of the roads will again be crowded beyond
capacity, and the same diversionary mea-
sure suggested for Saturdays and Sundays
should be placed in effect.
It is difficult to make an estimate of peak
traffic hours in the average Festival day,
but they probably will conform fairly
closely to the usual pattern of increasing
volumes to a mid-morning peak, a decline
until the lunch hour when there is another,
but smaller peak, then a mid-afternoon
peak, and a decline for the balance of the
day. The important point is that there is
going to be especially heavy traffic at cer-
tain times during the Festival. State Police
forces should be deployed in such a way
that they can work most effectively to keep
traffic moving. If congestion is to be avoid-
ed, Festival authorities should not schedule
for these days special events that will induce
even more traffic. If the purpose of the Fes-
tival requires that certain celebrations be
held on holidays, such as the Fourth of
July, advertising of the event probably
should be minimized. However, in general
it appears that the network of roads in the
area will be adequate to accommodate the
traffic that the Festival will generate pro-
vided that the necessary diversions are
made.
The Jamestown Ferry
From 1950 to 1954 the average number
of vehicles using the ferry between Scotland
Neck and Jamestown increased from 157
to 250, a rise of 59%. The ferry traffic
represented only 41% of Route 31 traffic
on the south side of the James River in
1950 and 1954. In spite of the effect of the
Festival, it is unlikely that volumes on
Route 31 south of the James River will
show in 1957 as great a proportionate in-
crease as roads nearer Williamsburg be-
cause of its distance from the Festival and
the river barrier. The normal increase for
this route should be about 12% and Festi-
val traffic will probably add another 3%,
making an estimated ADT of 715. If the
relationship between Route 31 traffic and
ferry traffic that has prevailed in the past
remains good in the future, a daily volume
of 290 can be expected. This figure repre-
sents an addition of only 40 vehicles daily
to the 1954 volume, and at this rate even
week-end and holiday traffic should not put
an unreasonable burden on ferry facilities.
[29]
TABLE 3-9
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC AND ROUTE CAPACITY: HOLIDAYS IN FESTIVAL PERIOD
April 20-21 May 29-31 July 4-6 Aug. 31, Sept. 1-2
Capacity ADT Easter week-end Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day weekend
3IN 14000 2150 6.5% 3450 4.1 2950 4.7 2925 4.8 3225 4.3
31S 3500 1350 2.6 2150 1.6 1850 1.9 1850 1.9 2025 1.7
60N 3500 2000 1.7 3225 1.1 2750 1.3 2725 1.3 3000 1.2
60E 3500 ºf
60Z 8000 5850 1.4 8050 1.0 7925 1.0
132 3500 1325 2.6 2125 1.7 1825 1.9 1800 1.9
162 4000 3150 1.3 ... -, j
163 2700 650 4.1 1025 2.6 900 3.0
Col. Pway. E. 9000 3025 3.0 4850 1.9 4150 2.2
Col. . W. 3500 2550 1.4 3500 1.0
*Ratio Average Daily Traffic to Capacity FjLeficient in Capacity
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D. most of the Festival the rural
highway system in the Festival Area
will be quite adequate for the traffic it must
carry, but nearly all of the vehicles travel-
ing these roads will funnel into the city of
Williamsburg. The street system of Wil-
liamsburg is more like that of an eighteen-
th century village than that of a modern
city, but it must accommodate during the
Festival a far greater number of vehicles
than cities with more modern systems. If
traffic is to pose no serious problem dur-
ing the Festival some drastic alteration in
the traffic control pattern of Williamsburg
must be introduced.
One-Way Street System
The most practical means of relieving
congestion is the establishment of a well
coordinated system of one-way streets. Such
a system offers the following advantages:
(1) The capacity of existing streets is in-
creased since more vehicles can be accom-
modated when traffic is permitted to flow
in one direction only. (2) Average speeds
can be increased with safety when oppos-
ing streams of traffic are eliminated. (3)
Accidents can be reduced by decreasing the
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conflicts in motor vehicle paths, pedestrian
and motor vehicle paths, and doing away
with the glare of opposing headlights. It is
true that in a one-way system motorists
traveling to some destinations have to go
a block or so out of their way, but the de-
tour is usually not too disagreeable if the
system has been well planned.
As a basic plan which may be expanded
if necessary, it is proposed that for the Fes-
tival period traffic movement be limited
as follows:
(1) Duke of Gloucester Street: one-way
westbound.
(2) Francis Street: one-way eastbound.
(3) Blair Street: one-way northbound.
(4) Boundary Street between Duke of
Gloucester Street and Francis Street:
one-way southbound.
(5) Boundary Street between Duke of
Gloucester Street and Prince George
Street: one-way northbound.
The most critical point in Williamsburg
will be the unusual five-leg intersection of
Duke of Gloucester Street, Boundary
Street, the Richmond Road, and the James-
town Road. Making Boundary Street one-
way northbound north of this intersection
[31]
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and one-way southbound south of it will
facilitate the movement of traffic away from
the intersection, reduce the number of traf-
fic approaches to three, and reduce the
number of conflicts in vehicle paths from
fourteen to five. It is suggested that the
island now at the west end of Duke of Glou-
cester Street be removed.
Limiting Boundary Street to one-way
southbound movement between Duke of
Gloucester Street and Francis Street and
Blair Street to one-way northbound is es-
sential to the efficient functioning of Duke
of Gloucester Street and Francis Street as
paired one-way arterials. The freedom of
movement on Blair and Boundary Streets
between the two east-west arterials at the
ends of the one-way control will determine
the carrying capacity of the two arterials to
a large extent. Thus, these two streets form
an important part of the one-way plan in
making it possible to reach the street of
choice in minimum time. The six inter-
mediate streets offer ample opportunity
for circulatory movement and movement
between points without severe restriction.
Any one-way plan imposes some penal-
ties on certain movements. For a vehicle
entering on the Richmond Road having
destination at Bruton Parish Church a two
block penalty will result. But in various
studies, it has been demonstrated that dis-
tance penalty is secondary to time penalty.
The ability to move along the one-way
streets in relative freedom will materially
lessen the objection to longer travel dis-
tanceS.
If the one-way plan is adopted it will be
necessary to reroute the busses operating
from the Colonial Williamsburg Reception
Center, which is located on England Street
south of Francis Street. Following the pres-
ent route busses turn from southbound on
Henry Street to eastbound on Duke of
Gloucester Street. To adjust the route
to the one-way street system, the busses may
follow their usual route to this intersection,
but instead of turning into Duke of Glou-
Cester Street they may continue south on
Henry Street to Francis, turn east on Fran-
cis, South on England, and so back to the
Reception Center.
Critical Points
The most congested spot in the Festival
Area will probably be the intersection of
Duke of Gloucester Street, Boundary
Street, the Jamestown Road, and the Rich-
mond Road, described above. The estab-
lishment of the one-way street plan should
improve this condition considerably; never-
theless, it is recommended that a police
officer be stationed here during most of the
daylight hours and at night when special
events are scheduled. The installation of
destination signs at the intersection would
help hesitating motorists to get on their way
in a hurry.
Vehicles entering the area via the Rich-
mond Road (Route 60) which have
Matoaka Lake Amphitheatre or Jamestown
as their destinations can be diverted before
reaching the intersection by placing appro-
priate signs directing them over Routes
615, 616 and 5.
The intersection of Francis and England
Streets, where traffic going to and from the
Williamsburg Lodge, the Colonial Wil-
liamsburg Reception Center, the Picnic
Grounds, and the parking areas will cross
or merge with Francis Street traffic, may
prove troublesome. Normally the cure for
an intersection of this kind is a traffic sig-
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nal, but since a signal would be in unfor-
tunate contrast to the restored area it is
rather recommended that a policeman be
stationed here when traffic volumes are
high.
Heavy volumes of traffic are likely to
occur at the intersection of Page and York
Streets, Routes 31 and 60, in the eastern
part of the city. Tentative plans of the Co-
lonial National Park include a traffic circle
at this location, which, if it is of adequate
radius, should preclude congestion. If plans
for such a circle fail to materialize, a traffic
signal should be installed for use during
the Festival period.
High volumes will probably be present
at the intersection of Route 60 and Route
31, Capitol Landing Road, during the Fes-
tival. The greatest conflict will occur be-
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tween vehicles turning left from Capitol
Landing Road into Route 60 and vehicles
moving south on Capitol Landing Road.
To minimize the delay of vehicles entering
and moving through the intersection, Con-
sideration should be given to erecting a
signal at this location during the Festival
period.
The gradient differential, the acute angle
and the motels along Route 60Z which will
generate increased traffic, make the inter-
section of Routes 60 and 6oz northeast of
the city a potential problem. To date this
intersection has been relatively free of ac-
cidents and congestion. Should a problem
arise during the course of the Festival per-
iod immediate corrective measures will be
taken by the Department.
It is possible that Route 6o east of Wil-











[34]
liamsburg will become crowded. Should
this happen traffic can be diverted to Route
168 at several points east of the city. Such
diversions should be made by the State or
County Police who should take special pre-
cautions to prevent vehicles from standing
On the railroad grade Crossings.
Traffic Control Devices
Signs used should be of the standard
type and design described in the Manual
of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for
Streets and Highways of the Virginia De-
partment of Highways. Exceptions to the
standard could be the destination signs
erected especially for Festival visitors. Some
of the special destination messages required
may be:
JAMESTOWN
YORKTOWN
CoMMON GLORY AMPHITHEATRE
SHIP REPLICAS
RESTORED WILLIAMSBURG
WILDERNESs TRAIL
CRAFT Exh IBITS
AGRICULTURAL ExHIBITS
PARKING
FESTIVAL INFORMATION CENTER
GLASSHOUSE POINT
A suggested design for a typical sign of
this kind is shown in Figure 4-4. If another
type is decided upon, Festival authorities
should be careful to see that the color con-
trast and the letter design and spacing are
right for good visibility. A sign that is diffi-
cult to read is about as bad as no sign at all,
and an object lesson in what is not wanted
is the kind of sign now being used in Co-
lonial Williamsburg. It is true that these
signs are nicely designed and quite in keep-
ing with the restoration atmosphere, but
they are so inconspicuous as to be nearly
invisible. In the suggested design for Festi-
val signs some compromise with what is
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[35]
Considered good highway sign design has
been made; however, the orange and blue
offers a fair color contrast and the roman
letters, although not as good perhaps as a
heavy sans-serif letter, should provide suf-
ficient legibilty. The orange and blue was
selected to distinguish the Festival signs
from regular highway signs and because
the colors are to be used on Festival restaur-
ant signs. The orange background should
stand out well against summer foliage. The
roman letters, we believe, are more appro-
priate under the circumstances than the
sans-serif. It is recommended that these
signs, which will have to last for a year only,
be made of wood rather than metal, and
that those which give directions to places
where evening events will take place be
reflectorized. The size of the signs, which
does not have to be standard, should be
determined when the final design and lo-
cations are settled upon. If the colors select-
ed are poor in contrast, the signs should be
made larger than they need be if the con-
trast is good.
In Williamsburg standard regulatory
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signs for the one-way streets will be needed.
Since the system will be temporary, the
signs may be of the portable type which can
be installed or removed as traffic volumes
warrant, or they may be permanently fixed.
and covered when not wanted. The loca-
tion of these, too, can be determined by
field inspection after the types and sizes of
the signs have been decided upon. If de-
sired the Highway Department will coop-
erate with Festival representatives and of-
ficials of the city of Williamsburg in mak-
ing site selections. ;
In places where it seems advisable to in-
stall traffic signals it is recommended that
traffic actuated volume density controllers
be used because of the temporary nature
of the installation and because of the vary-
ing time periods of heavy traffic volumes.
Formerly traffic controllers of this kind
have been actuated by treadles placed in
the road surface, but it is now possible to
trigger them by means of small radar units
mounted over the road. This method makes
the installation less costly because the road
does not have to be dug up.




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Festival authorities to the best way in
which to welcome visitors to the area, in-
form them of what they should see, find
them places to stay, and provide for them
some type of interesting orientation. Most
of these problems are outside of the pro-
vince of this report; however, three mat-
ters pertaining to visitor information are
to be considered: the location of the Festi-
val Reception Center, the design of Festi-
val Information Stations, and the location
of Festival Information Stations.
Festival Reception Center
As its name implies, the Festival Recep-
tion Center is intended to welcome the
visitor, to provide him with material which
will tell him what is to be seen and done in
the area, and, by means of exhibits and
other kinds of visual presentations, to give
him a general idea of what the Festival is
all about. It is desirable that the Reception
Center be the visitor's first stop in the area.
It will be possible for him to leave his car
in the parking area which is to be near-by,
purchase tickets, receive as much indoctri-
nation as he wants, and proceed to the
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various activities by one of a fleet of busses
that will operate from the Center.
Since Williamsburg will be the center
of Festival activity and since it is the focal
point of roads in the area, it is logical that
the Center be located somewhere near the
city. The site selected by Festival authori-
ties is on Route 168, near its intersection
with Route 132. The building itself will
be used as a National Guard Armory dur-
ing and after the Festival.
It is important that all roads leading
into the area have signs which will direct
motorists to the Center by routes which
will be the most direct and least congested.
Figure 5-2 shows the routes which may be
followed by vehicles approaching Wil-
liamsburg by means of any of the major
routes. The exact location of the signs can
be determined by field inspection.
Festival Information Stations
Because of the unusual nature of the
celebration and the large number of
people expected, it is thought desirable
that some contact be made with the visitor
before he reaches the area so that pertin-
ent information about Festival activities
can be given him and perhaps accommo-
[37]
|
dations made for him. The best way to do
this seems to be by means of several Infor-
mation Stations located at a distance from
the area on major roads. These stations
will probably be connected by leased line
telephone or TWX with a central head-
quarters which may be located in the Fes-
tival Reception Center. The headquarters
will serve as a source of information for
the stations and, if present plans material-
ize, as a central reservation bureau.
Just how the information stations are
to operate, who will staff them, and who
will pay for their establishment are not
settled. Festival authorities have expressed
hope that the communities in which the sta-
tions are to be located will bear the cost of
erecting a suitable building or remodeling
an existing one to conform to an accep-
table design. What such a building should
look like is a question on which there is a
variety of opinion.
In order to have some ideas which could
serve as a point of departure when other
matters were decided upon, a contest for
the design of an Information Station was
sponsored by the Virginia 350th Anniver-
sary Commission and students in the state's
two architecture schools were invited to
participate. Clinton H. Cowgill, head of
the Department of Architecture of the Vir-
ginia Polytechnic Institute, and Thomas K.
Fitz Patrick, dean of the School of Archi-
tecture of the University of Virginia gen-
erously gave the competition their support
and nearly forty designs were submitted
to the Commission. First prize was award-
ed to John L. Ruseau of the University of
Virginia, second to David W. Leonard of
the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and
third to Donald C. Bazemore of the Uni-
versity of Virginia. Mr. Ruseau's design is
shown in Figure 5-3.
The services offered by the stations will

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[41]
be of value to anyone attending the Festi-
val, but out-of-state visitors will probably
derive the most benefit from them. The
question of who is going to pay for and
operate the stations will doubtless have a
bearing on their location, but one factor
which should be taken into account is the
number of foreign passenger vehicles trav-
eling the roads on which they are to be
situated. With this in mind, the following
locations are proposed, not only because
of the high frequency of foreign vehicles
on the roads, but because the roads will
carry the great majority, if not all, of the
traffic bound for the Festival:
1. On Route 1 between Falmouth and
Stafford Court House.
2. On Route 301 between Port Royal
and the Dahlgren Bridge.
3. On Route 168 in the City of War-
wick east of the intersection with Route
17.
4. On Route 301–460 (Crater Road)
in the City of Petersburg between Wythe
Avenue and Route 460 to Suffolk.
5. On Route 33–60 between Seven
Pines and Bottoms Bridge.
TABLE 5-1
COMPOSITION OF TRAFFIC AT
INFORMATION STATION
LOCATIONS
Total Virginia Foreign 94 For.
Station Cars Cars Cars Cars
1…~~~~ 8400 4000 4400 52
2~~~~~~ ... 4700 1000 3700 79
3…~~~~ 10200 9000 1200 12
4-------... 12400 7300 5100 41
5---------- 6300 5500 800 13
Total --~~~~~ 42000 26800 15200 36
The exact locations should be subject to
field inspection. It is understood that the
stations may be placed on Highway De-
partment right-of-way and that the De-
partment will construct turn-outs where
necessary.
The suitability of these locations for
the interception of foreign passenger cars
is apparent from the figures shown in
Table 5-1. Of total passenger car travel on
primary routes in Virginia, foreign pass-
enger cars perform 26 percent, yet the
average percent of foreign passenger cars
passing the locations selected is 36. The
average daily traffic at these points varies
from 4,700 on Route 301 between Port
Royal and Dahlgren to more than 12,000
on Crater Road.
[42]

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N spite of the fact that busses will run about 4,500 vehicles taking people from
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from the Festival Reception Center place to place in the area.
through the Festival Area, undoubtedly Obviously all of these vehicles will not
many, if not most, visitors will want to use be in the same place at the same time, but
their own automobiles to get from place to there is no way of knowing now, since the
place. This means that parking lots must time required to see the various exhibits
be provided within a reasonable walking has not been determined, how long they
distance of all exhibits and activities. In are likely to remain in any one place. We
Order to prevent unnecessary construction, may guess, though, that at any moment of
a careful evaluation of the drawing power the day, excluding mealtimes, we may find
of each activity should be made, the length 50% of the vehicles in Williamsburg, 5%
of stay of the visitor at the activity deter- at the Festival Reception Center, 10% at
mined in order to compute how long each Jamestown, 10% at Glasshouse Point, 10%
space will be occupied before it is free to at Yorktown and the remaining 15% at
store another vehicle, and then the size of other activities in the area or on the road.
the lot figured with an allowance for peak If we apply these percentages to the num-
Conditions. At present the amount of in- ber of vehicles expected, we find that at
formation available for determining these any time of the day there ought to be 2,250
factors is limited; the suggestions in the vehicles in Williamsburg, 225 at the Re-
sections that follow are based on assump- Ception Center, and 450 at Jamestown,
tions that are carefully stated. If the condi- Glasshouse Point, and Yorktown respecti-
tions that govern the assumptions change, vely. At each of these locations there should
then the sizes and locations of the lots must be a sufficient number of parking spaces to
be altered accordingly. store the expected number of vehicles.
In Chapter II it was estimated that about Admittedly, this argument is tenuous,
3,000 vehicles a day would bring visitors to but we may take another approach to check
the Festival and that the average length of the reasonableness of the assumptions. Let
stay of each visitor would be a day and a us say that the average visitor will spend
half. On a given day, then, there should be 10 hours of the day participating in some
[43]
activity connected with the Festival. We
might expect him to spend each day, in-
cluding lunch and dinner times, five hours
in Williamsburg, a half-hour at the Re-
Ception Center, and one hour each at
Jamestown, Yorktown, and Glasshouse
Point. The remaining hour and a half he
will use getting from one place to another.
Under these conditions, in Williamsburg
2,250 spaces will be required to store 4,500
vehicles for five hours each. The Reception
Center will need 225 spaces, and James-
town, Yorktown and Glasshouse Point 450
Spaces each.
Certain factors have been omitted from
Consideration because it is difficult to know
how to evaluate them. No allowance has
been made for travel time from the visitor's
lodging to the Festival Area and back again,
but it remains to be determined just how
far away from the area the average visitor
will stay. It is quite possible that certain
activities will have either much more or
much less drawing power than has been
estimated, in which case the turnover rate
for the lot associated with the activity will
have to be adjusted and the number of
spaces changed. If exhibits or activities are
added to those listed they must receive
their allowance of time and the other times
proportionately diminished. Most import-
ant, however, is the fact that the argument
is based on an average day which will pro-
bably never Come to pass and that fluctua-
tions within the day have not been taken
into account.
For the sake of comparison, let us com-
pute on the basis of a peak day, a Saturday
in April. As estimated in Chapter III, traffic
in the month of April will be about 18%
higher than average traffic during the entire
Festival period and Saturdays will be about
25% over the average for the month. April
Saturday traffic, then, should be about
6,200 vehicles, if we figure (1) that half of
the vehicles in the area on Friday will be
on hand on Saturday (1,770 vehicles);
(2) that Saturday traffic will be 25% over
average April traffic (3,540 plus 885 ve-
hicles). In this case the number of spaces
required at each of the activities under con-
sideration will be as follows:
Williamsburg 3,100
Reception Center 310
Jamestown 620
Yorktown 620
Glasshouse Point 620
Williamsburg Parking
Within the area defined by Boundary
Street, Tazewell Hall Avenue, Page Street,
and Scotland Street there are 22 off-street
lots capable of accommodating the follow-
ing numbers of vehicles:
Lot No. Cars
I 97
2 83
3 138
4 64
5 59
6 15
7 8
8 112
9 33
10 41
II 40
12 I60
13 69
14 49
15 20
16 I6
17 26
18 12
19 9I
20 46
21 25
22 100
Total 1,304
NASSAU
[
OLOT NUMBER
DOE] CAPACITY

In addition to the spaces listed, Lots 12
and 20 have room for six and nine busses
respectively. Excluded from this tabulation
are the following lots which are dedicated
to special purposes or which are so far re-
moved from the restored area that tourist
parking in them would be unlikely:
Lot Location Cars
Matoaka Lake Amphitheatre 700
W & M Campus 135
W & M Campus 40
Richmond Road 715
N. City Limits near Colonial Pway. .................................... 1120
Also excluded are the two 500-car lots to
be located at the new Colonial Williams-
burg Reception Center which is to be built
on Route 60 near its intersection with
Route 132. Although these lots will have
a favorable effect on the parking situation
generally since they will take a number of
vehicles away from the most crowded area,
they will be located too far away from the
restored area to serve visitors.
In addition to the off-street spaces there
are an estimated 1,250 Curb spaces available
in the part of Williamsburg under consider-
ation. Of this number 27 are restricted to
one-hour parking, 47 to one half-hour and
the balance is unrestricted. The grand total
of curb and off-street spaces in and near
the restored area is approximately 2,550.
To obtain the number of spaces available
for Festival parkers we must deduct from
this grand total the spaces normally used by
local parkers. The survey conducted by
Harland Bartholomew and Associates' in
1952 revealed that even in an off-season
month Lots 1, 2, and 3 were Crowded nearly
to capacity. This observation was confirmed
by inspection made by the Highway De-
partment in July, 1955. It may be Con-
cluded then that the spaces in these lots
will not be available for Festival parkers.
Few tourists will be interested in using re-
stricted spaces; therefore, we should deduct
the 74 spaces that are limited to one-hour
or half-hour parking. How many of the un-
restricted spaces will not be available can-
not be determined without an extensive
survey, but it would not be unreasonable to
assume that 25% would normally be occu-
pied by local cars. Making these deductions
we find that there remain about 1,850
spaces that can store the vehicles of Festival
visitors.
If our estimates of the number of people
that will visit Williamsburg are correct,
parking is going to be hard to come by even
under average Festival conditions. It is
recommended that every effort be made to
put into effect by 1957 the ultimate parking
plan proposed by Bartholomew and also
that consideration be given to permitting
parking on certain streets (like Scotland)
where it is now largely prohibited.
Jamestown Parking
It is planned to establish on Jamestown
Island a parking lot with a capacity of 500
vehicles. If our estimates are correct the
size of this lot will be adequate for average
conditions but it will be deficient by some-
thing over 100 spaces during peaks. It is
suggested that plans be made to divert the
cars that cannot be accommodated to the
Glasshouse Point lot and that bus transpor-
tation be provided from Glasshouse Point
to Jamestown.
1. Harland Bartholomew and Associates, A Prelimi-
nary Report Upon Streets, Highways, and Parking, Wil-
liamsburg, Virginia (St. Louis, 1952), pp. 36 f.
[46]
Glasshouse Point Parking
Festival authorities propose that a 1,000
car lot be built on Glasshouse Point just
off the Colonial Parkway and it is also
planned to construct a small lot with room
for about 100 vehicles nearer the old Glass-
house. The total of 1,100 spaces should be
adequate for all but the most extreme con-
ditions and should provide even under
anticipated peak conditions enough space
to absorb the overflow from the Jamestown
lot.
Yorktown Parking
The Park Service intends to construct a
lot to accommodate 200 to 300 vehicles at
Yorktown. This lot should be crowded even
under normal conditions, but it is felt that
the overflow can park in the fields along
the Parkway without difficulty.
Reception Center Parking
To accommodate vehicles expected dur-
ing peak hours the parking lot at the Re-
ception Center should have approximately
300 spaces. Allowing 275 square feet per
parking space, including aisles, a total area
of two acres will be needed for the lot.
Cost of Parking Areas
Most of the land in the Festival area is
nearly flat and can be machine graded for
parking lots at a cost that would probably
be between $350 and $500 an acre. The
soil generally is of a quality that could re-
ceive a bituminous treatment without the
addition of a sand-clay surface, but in those
TABLE 6-1
PARKING AREA COSTS
Item Per Acre Per Spaec
Clearing & Grubbing.................................... $ 300 $ 1.90
Grading 350-500 2.22–3.16
Surfacing Material (3”-4”) ................. 1500 9.48
Surface Treatment
(prime & Seal) … 1700 10.75
Calcium Chloride .…...….........bºre 200 1.03
places where grading removes the existing
top soil it would have to be replaced with
a surface material capable of receiving the
bituminous treatment. A sand-clay surface
of three to four inches thickness would cost
about $1500 an acre.
If a less expensive surface is desired, the
soil surface of the lot could be treated with
calcium chloride, which serves very satis-
factorily as a dust pallative when applied to
gritty soils. On clay soils calcium chloride
produces a sticky surface just after applica-
tion. Several applications would be needed
for each lot to control dust throughout the
Festival period.
The lowest cost that could be expected
would be that of a cleared area which would
be surfaced with natural soils treated with
calcium chloride, in which case the cost of
preparing an acre for parking would be
about $550, or $3.25 a car space. At the
other extreme would be a wooded area re-
quiring new surface material and a bitu-
minous surface treatment, in which case
the cost would be about $4,000 an acre or
$25.29 a car space. A summary of Costs is
given in Table 6-1.
[47]

•zcánote/edºzemen/
M. courtesies were extended to the personnel of the Department of Highways
who prepared this report and information was obtained from many quarters. We
are especially indebted to Messrs. Parke S. Rouse, Jr. and King Meehan of the Virginia
350th Anniversary Celebration Commission and Col. H. K. Roberts of the Jamestown-
Williamsburg-Yorktown National Celebration Commission. The cooperation of Messrs.
Thomas K. Fitz Patrick and C. H. Cowgill of the University of Virginia and the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute respectively was generously given in the securing of a student de-
sign for a Festival Information Station. Mr. McCaskie of Colonial Williamsburg and
Mr. Smith of the State Department of Health furnished information which was needed
to prepare housing estimates. The photograph of the proposed Festival Reception Cen-
ter, reproduced on page 38 of this report, was provided by Mr. Louis W. Ballou of Bal-
lou and Justice, Architects and Engineers.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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