HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β Henrico County officials met with community members to discuss critical safety improvements on Three Chopt Road between Freeman High School and Tuckahoe Middle School on Wednesday, following the death of a student who was struck while biking across the road in August.
The meeting brought together students, parents, neighbors and county leaders who all agreed on the urgent need to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety throughout the county.
"We want to do everything that we can to try to keep folks safe," Supervisor Misty Roundtree said.
The tragedy has highlighted safety concerns in the area, where residents noted there are four crosswalks near Freeman High School but none by Tuckahoe Middle School or Ridge Elementary School, where the fatal crash occurred. Supervisors shared that investments in improving areas of concern in the county had been approved and on going prior to recent months.
Some attendees asked the board to look at making changes on a more long-term scale.
"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. And I would just love for the representatives and stuff here to start thinking about larger plans for the community and what we prioritize, and not just accommodating pedestrian safety in this current existence of car culture," one parent said.
Other residents suggested immediate improvements could make a difference.
"Flashing man, 32nd crosswalk that's already tied into the signal equipment there, probably is far less expensive, even signal on the ground, stripes. I have to imagine something like that could be, like, a do now," another parent said.
"The painting bike lanes on Three Chopt you know, maybe consider putting the money towards a shared use path, wider sidewalks, or at least just adding the protection as other people have," another parent added.
Students also voiced their concerns during the meeting.
"We do need to have more people to help cross the road. I think the whole transportation thing is just very important, because we've lost a lot of lives recently," a student said.
County leaders revealed that 11 people have died from pedestrian and cyclist crashes this year alone, with most incidents occurring at night.
Henrico County leaders shared how they have implemented both immediate and long-term solutions. Short-term measures include continuing their "Watch Out Ahead Henrico" awareness campaign, implementing dozens of quick safety projects, and exploring staffing options for crosswalks.
Long-term plans involve 24 active projects totaling more than $570 million. These projects will add 20 miles of sidewalks, 16 miles of shared-use paths, 50 bus shelters, and 75 benches, along with new crosswalks and pedestrian signs.
Two major projects focus on pedestrian improvements at Three Chopt and Eastridge Road, and at Starling and Quioccasin.
Some residents shared positive experiences with the county's responsiveness to safety concerns.
"It happened really quickly. When my kids were in elementary school, there were cars that were parking on the crosswalk, so it wasn't safe for students to cross, because you couldn't see them coming from behind parked cars. Reached out to Mr. Job, and very quickly there were no parking from here to corner signs," one resident said.
For this community, the conversation extends beyond infrastructure improvements to saving lives.
"We're really serious about this. We're putting our money where our mouth is," Roundtree said.
Officials encourage the public to continue providing feedback on these projects and safety measures.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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