HAMPTON, Va. — Tonight's city council meeting followed another meeting in June where Hampton residents who live by the intersection of Shell Road and Greenbrier Avenue in the neighborhood of Wythe expressed safety concerns about frequent speeding in the area. City council since installed four-way stop signs but to no avail.
"I said, man, this is great, but the cars just kept running through the stop signs," said Hampton resident Franklin Chambers.
According to a Public Works traffic study, 18 crashes have occurred at that intersection between 2019 and 2023. The study also showed travelers consistently drive between 50 and 78 miles per hour when crossing the intersection.
Chambers said several car accidents have occurred on his front lawn and his neighbor's as a result of cars speeding through the intersection and failing to stop at stop signs.
"We had a series of accidents over one weekend," said Chambers. "We end up with a car up in my yard on a Friday, then that Sunday we end up with a car across the street in my neighbor's yard. A week or two later, we ended up with another car hitting the house across the street from me."
Hampton city officials say they are determined to increase safety by decreasing speeding in this area.
"Throughout the city, we're concerned with about safety, that people live in safe neighborhoods so that people are able to diverse our streets with comfort and care," said Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck.
"In any community, people want to feel like they're in a safe area, so we thought it was important to address the community's concerns. And we think we've done that," said City Councilman and incoming Mayor Jimmy Gray.
At the request of community members, the city council agreed to increase police presence in the area and to install flashing LED lights warning drivers to stop at the upcoming stop sign. Flashing lights will be stationed 50 feet before stop signs on Shell Road and are expected to be fully installed within the next 30-90 days. If these measures don't work in regards to reducing speeding in that area, city council said their next step will be install traffic lights at the intersection.