Repeated traffic collisions at a Hampton neighborhood intersection have residents living in a “climate of fear.”
“Homeowners are nervous to spend time in their yards and simply walking down the street for constant worry about the next speeding car,” Ursula Barkers said.
The situation has prompted the city to try to improve safety at the intersection of Shell Road and Greenbriar Avenue, but those who live around it don’t think Hampton’s solutions are enough.
Eighteen accidents were reported at the intersection between 2019 and 2023, multiple resulting in injuries, according to a Hampton traffic study. After two accidents over a June weekend, residents called on Hampton City Council for help.
“I’m begging you all,” Charlene Thompson said at a June meeting.
Thompson, a resident at the intersection, has had multiple cars strike her home over the years. She described one incident where a vehicle entered her yard and struck her son’s Chevrolet Suburban.
“The vehicle came into our yard, knocked the Suburban over, flipped it through the gate … where my grandson and our two dogs had just went into the house from the backyard,” she said. “God forbid that they were still out there. We don’t want to die.”
The sentiment was shared by one of Thompson’s neighbors, Franklin Chambers.
“I have over 40 pages of pictures of accidents on that corner,” Chambers said. “So far in the 20 years I’ve been there, I’ve never seen anybody killed – but I’ve seen some very, very close incidents.”
In response, police upped their presence at Shell and Greenbriar since June. New stop signs were installed and city council in July voted to increase fines for speeding in the area.
But residents like Thompson haven’t noticed an improvement.
“Thank you for the additional two stop signs,” she told the council this week. “That was a baby step, it’s appreciated but ineffective.”
Residents called for additional solutions to be considered, including installing speed bumps and traffic lights at the intersection.
“This investment is necessary to prevent further serious accidents and protect the lives and properties of our residents,” Barkers said this month.
City Manager Mary Bunting said she was “amazed” that Hampton’s efforts haven’t helped, but reiterated the city doesn’t see speed bumps as the solution.
“Speeders still bump those, and when they bump those they do more damage,” she said. “It causes the cars to go up even higher and when they land in someone’s yard, they do more damage to the property hit and the individuals in the cars.”
“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 traffic lights may be the solution, but it wouldn’t be a quick one. Design and installation would take upwards of eight months, should Hampton approve such a project.
Mayor Donnie Tuck also speculated that a light may not solve the problem.
“Part of me thinks if we put a stop light, people run stop lights as well,” Tuck said.
Tuck said he’s hopeful that the newly increased fines in the area make some headway toward improving safety at Shell and Greenbriar as city council considers additional steps.
Bunting said city staff are working on bringing a set of options for the city council to consider.
