RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond City leaders say someone installed speed limit signs in a neighborhood that’s known for speeding.
People living in the Woodland Heights area of Richmond’s Southside told 8News they saw at least two 25 mph signs posted along Bainbridge Street. City officials said Department of Public Works crews removed them — because it is illegal for residents to install speed limits signs.
Welford Smith, who’s lived on Bainbridge for 23 years, said he’s had a few close calls. In 2018, a driver rammed their car into his house, destroying part of his porch.
“I heard the noise to my right and I looked over, and there was this van sitting on my porch. It was absolutely incredible,” he said.
In another incident, his car and dog were hit, too.
“It’s a cut through from Midlothian Turnpike as well as Semmes during rush hour. They use this street and they just fly, because there’s no stop lights — they just go,” Smith said.
Laney Sullivan, who also lives on Bainbridge Street with her family, said she’s watched the speeding get worse.
“We have a speeding issue. We have children who are trying to cross to go play at the fields and in the playground,” she said. “I feel like we’re just waiting for a really sad thing to happen.”
According to city leaders, it’s believed that a resident took it upon themselves to put up two 25 miles per hour speed limit signs on power poles. The signs have since been removed by the city, but some residents saw them as their last resort for traffic safety improvements.
“I think it’s really sad that, in one day, the city can come and take down a bunch of signs that are helping, but they can’t put up new signs,” Sullivan said. “When the extra signs were up, it did actually impact people’s speed a lot.”
“I was happy to see the signs up the other day. I didn’t know who put them up, but I thought they were a great idea,” Smith said. “I was sitting on my porch, and I noticed that people were coming down and when they saw the sign, they slowed down a little bit.”
Sullivan also wants drivers to adhere to the speed limit and to pay attention to the road.
“I’ve applied for more signs and for crosswalks to be painted on the street. There are signs for crosswalks, but there are no crosswalks,” she said.
“I would love to see more signs put up. I would love to see more police activity and some crosswalks,” Smith said.
City officials told 8News more traffic safety improvements are coming to Bainbridge Street soon.
According to the DMV Crash Locations Map, there have been nine crashes on Bainbridge Street this year. In 2022, there were 19 crashes.
