VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Something is different in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach this week: There are additional stop signs at the intersection of Lord Dunmore Drive and Fairfield Boulevard.
The intersection is in a residential area - one that Virginia Beach City Councilman Rocky Holcomb and Councilman Michael Berlucchi say has struggled with speeding cars.
Wednesday morning, the two council members visited the neighborhood and talked with residents to get their feedback on the change.
The street is on the border of District 1 and District 3, so Holcomb who represents District 1, teamed up with Berlucchi, who represents District 3, to see what could be done to alleviate the issue. They say they did bring more attention to the matter, but they tell News 3 the progress is because of citizens speaking up about the matter.
“The neighbors in this area and the civic league deserve so much credit for advocating for traffic calming measures and an expectation of safety in their neighborhood,” Berlucchi said on Wednesday morning while in the neighborhood.
Again, starting this week, the intersection of Lord Dunmore Drive and Fairfield Boulevard is now a 4-way stop.
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Just down the street, drivers also experience speed tables, but Holcomb said those didn’t really seem to make a big difference in drivers speeding at this particular intersection.
Both council members say these additional stops are good progress.
Berlucchi said, “I think there’s still more work to do in this area. All around the city, we’re seeing challenges related to traffic safety - especially around what we call cut-through roads which are not main streets but streets that are often used as main streets by lots of motorists, and Lord Dunmore is a perfect example of it.”
According to the City of Virginia Beach’s Public Works Department, they’re discouraging drivers from using neighborhood streets as shortcuts, saying it disrupts the quality of life in neighborhoods.
Those experiencing traffic issues in their area can first write a request to the Traffic Engineering Department. Public Works says the City will then contact the resident to set up a meeting.
Click here for more information on the City’s traffic calming program.
According to Berlucchi the intersection of Lord Dunmore and Fairfield Boulevard didn’t meet requirements from the traffic engineering department; however, that’s when city leaders stepped in to assist, in part because of persistent residents.
