RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Neighbors in a South Barton Heights neighborhood in Richmond got the opportunity to air their grievances with city officials after their homes have been the victims of multiple car crashes.
Marilyn Joyner’s Monteiro Street porch was first hit by a car back in January, since then it has now been hit a total of three times. As a result, Joyner and her neighbors began to urge the City to make traffic changes.
On Thursday, Dec. 15, Joyner and other neighbors finally got the opportunity to meet with City leaders to see what could be done to make the road safer.
“What we come on the site today to do is to be on the site collectively looking at this okay,” said Councilmember Ellen Robertson.
Joyner and her neighbors said this is the moment they had been hoping for — the opportunity to speak with City officials about reckless drivers in their neighborhood.
“Speeding,” that’s what Joyner and other neighbors have said is the main cause of their problem. Despite chevron signs and rumble strips, Joyner’s neighbor Christopher Green says that drivers continue to speed down Monteiro Street.
“It seems like there’s some apathy around this situation,” Green said in September. “Signage is good but we see that it’s not working.”
After months of requesting action from Richmond’s City Council, South Barton Heights residents met with Robertson and others to see the careless driving for themselves.
“I feel your pain and that’s the kind of stuff that makes it real over and over again,” Robertson said.
The City says it is continuing to conduct traffic studies and look for more actions that can be taken to make the street safer. For now, Joyner and her neighbors say they are happy to finally feel heard.
While there are no concrete plans for the next steps — such as additional signage or enforced speeding tickets — Joyner says she is feeling more optimistic than ever about the future.
