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Residents press for lower limits and cameras; VDOT explains limits of new speed-limit authority
Summary
During public comment residents urged lower speed limits and camera enforcement in school zones; VDOT's Robert Brown told the Board localities can only lower limits on roads already posted at 25 mph (to 20 or 15) without a traffic study and that the Route 29 school-complex study recommended using an officer to create traffic gaps for buses.
Residents raised road-safety concerns at the Nelson County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 13, urging lower speed limits in populated business areas and asking the county to pursue camera-based speed enforcement in school zones.
Michele Regine, who lives on Route 6, asked that speed limits be reexamined and suggested the Nellysford business area be reduced to 35 mph. William Pearcy urged the Board to issue an RFP to camera vendors (he named Blue Line Solutions and Altumint) for school-zone speed enforcement and suggested revenue be earmarked for the school system to avoid the appearance of monetizing enforcement. "There was no way the County could lose money with the deal," Pearcy said when describing expected revenue sharing.
VDOT resident engineer Robert Brown briefed the Board on a recent change in state law that allows localities to lower speed limits only on roads already posted at 25 mph; such roads may be lowered to 20 or 15 mph and the change does not require a traffic study, he said. "In order for a locality to reduce a speed limit, it had to be on a road already posted with a 25 mph speed limit," Brown said. He told the Board he would provide staff with a fact sheet and a list of roads in Nelson that currently carry 25-mph postings.
On a separate but related point, Brown described the traffic engineers' findings for the Route 29 intersection at the high school/middle school complex: the engineers found no engineering remedy to improve the bus egress and concluded that the most effective measure was having an officer create breaks in traffic to allow buses to get out.
The Board asked staff to follow up with VDOT to identify 25-mph postings and to explore options including traffic calming, turn-lane extensions and Smart Scale consideration for roadway improvements. The Board also heard VDOT report items on storm repairs and maintenance plans for mowing and litter pickup.
Outcome: No Board action was taken immediately on speed-camera proposals or broad speed-limit changes; VDOT said it would provide a fact sheet and list of existing 25-mph posted roads to inform next steps.
