Motorists who speed through the residential corridor near the intersection of Shell Road and Greenbriar Avenue will face an additional $200 fine.
Hampton City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to pass an ordinance designating Shell Road from Old Aberdeen Road to Powhatan Parkway and Greenbriar Avenue from Pembroke Avenue to Victoria Boulevard as “additional fine streets.” This means anyone who exceeds the maximum speed limit will face a $200 fine in addition to other fines or penalties. No portion of the fine shall be suspended unless the court orders 20 hours of community service.
The additional fine goes into effect immediately.
Residents have complained about dangerous driving near that intersection, and a city study confirmed their concerns. According to the research, 18 crashes were reported at the intersection of Shell Road and Greenbriar Avenue from 2019-23. The study also showed that over an eight-day-period, 3.3% of the vehicles on Greenbriar Avenue and 5.3% of the vehicles on Shell Road drove 20 mph or more over the speed limit.
The city previously installed a four-way stop along with signs warning of a new traffic pattern. Police Chief Jimmie Wideman said since being aware of the issue, police have dedicated 32 hours of enforcement at the intersection and issued 92 citations. Still, residents maintained more needed to be done.
Hampton resident Ursula Barkers told the council this week that speeding through Greenbriar has been “the norm” for over 10 years. She said despite the recent installation of the four-way stops, speeding cars continue to barrel through the neighborhood, with far too many ignoring the stop signs entirely.
“While we appreciate the city’s efforts, it is clear that more drastic measures are needed,” Barkers said. “A more effective solution would be to install traffic lights, equipped with cameras, at this intersection. Although city officials may hesitate to proceed with this plan, due to the higher costs, this investment is necessary to prevent further serious accidents and protect the lives and properties of our residents.”
Charlene Thompson also raised concern about the number of accidents on Shell Road and Greenbriar. She said the installation of stop signs was “a baby step” and would like to see speed humps added.
City Manager Mary Bunting said she was amazed the measures haven’t appeared to help. She said the city is hesitant to add speed bumps because speeders still tend to not slow down, and “do more damage” when they hit the bumps. She added they create issues with emergency response vehicles.
“Not that we couldn’t do it, but we really want to be sure, if we’re going to put those in, that they’re absolutely required,” Bunting said.
She added that a traffic light “might be the right solution” but take 8-10 months to design and install, are expensive and are “not the quick solution.”
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
