RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Drivers in Shockoe Bottom – be prepared to slow down.
In an effort to increase safety and force drivers to slow down on Dock Street, the City of Richmond recently installed two speed humps, which are shorter and wider than typical speed bumps and are designed to allow drivers to comfortably drive over at 20 miles per hour or slower.
Chris Seward lives right off of Dock Street and said that while he was on his walk today, he noticed the two new speed humps. One of the two is located at the intersection of Dock Street and 21st Street, which is right in front of a busy crosswalk.
“People come flying through here at 45 and 50 miles an hour on a regular basis,” said Seward. So having the speed bumps right there where the pedestrian crossing is in this area, where a lot of people go across with their dogs and their bikes and their kids all the time, is great. I hope it makes a huge improvement.”
The other speed hump is located a few hundred feet down Dock Street.
16 crashes were reported on Dock Street in 2022 and 16 crashes have already been reported so far in 2023. Several of the crashes over the last two years have involved speeding. Seward said he thinks the speed humps will make most of the drivers slow down in advance before reaching the crosswalk.
“It feels like they’ll have to slow down in advance of the bumps, which is when they’re coming up to that pedestrian crossing. So hopefully less people will ignore that there’s lights flashing and people trying to walk across the street,” said Seward.
Shockoe Bottom is known for its foot and car traffic, and Emily Smith agrees the hump closest to the crosswalk will help the most.
“I definitely think the one right here is super helpful, just because it does help people slow down and it kind of minimizes how bad traffic is,” said Smith.
