PETERSBURG , Va. — The City of Petersburg has implemented safety changes at a downtown intersection where multiple pedestrians have been struck by drivers, including one man who was hit twice while using his battery-powered wheelchair.
The intersection at East Washington Street and South Sycamore Street has been the site of numerous accidents involving pedestrians trying to cross the street, according to neighbors and business owners.
Glenn Harris, who uses a battery-powered wheelchair, said he has been struck twice at the intersection, with both incidents knocking him over.
"It's a whole lot better than it was," Harris said of the recent changes.
Petersburg businessman Joe Battiston, who spoke about the safety issues in a March 2026 interview, said the problem stemmed from conflicting signals that allowed vehicles to make left turns while pedestrians had the walk signal.
"They make the left turn from Washington Street onto South Sycamore and they are hitting the people. It happens quite often," Battiston said.
Following CBS 6's coverage of the issue, the city made two key changes to improve pedestrian safety.
The first requires pedestrians to press a button to activate the walk signal, rather than having it cycle automatically with traffic lights.
The second change creates an all-way pedestrian phase that stops traffic completely, allowing people to cross in any direction.
"I think with this new change that they have, it's going to reduce the accidents as well as less people being hit," Battiston said.
Harris emphasized the importance of using the new system properly.
"You have to press that button. If you don't use them, then you're at fault," he said.
Both Harris and Battiston said they would like to see one additional improvement: extending the crossing time beyond the current 20-second limit.
"Just a little bit longer. People with disabilities, with walkers, crutches, canes, they're not going to be able to traverse the intersection within the 20 seconds they allow," Battiston said.
Harris agreed the timing could be improved but called the changes a positive step.
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