POQUOSON, Va. - The speed limits on three well-traveled roads in the small coastal town of Poquoson have been lowered by the city council.
Browns Neck Road, Hudgins Road, and Cedar Road are now only 25 miles per hour. New signage went up recently with orange flags to alert drivers.
City Manager Randy Wheeler said citizens spurred the change by creating a petition which they presented to city council.
Ashley Wian, who lives on Cedar Road, led the charge.
“Anyone traveling over 30 to begin with I feel like is kind of out of control in a neighborhood,” said Wian.
Wian has a sign in her front yard that reads "Slow Down- This Is A Neighborhood Not A Racetrack."
“This road the high school uses for cross country, there’s multiple bus stops on this road, people ride their bikes, walk their dogs, mothers taking their kids on walks,” said Wian.
Wian captured the below video over the last few months which she says shows drivers, one after the other, taking the turn right in front of her house which she describes as too fast.
"We placed boulders in our front yard recently to protect our home, so if someone is speeding and losing control they're going to hit those rocks before they hit my children sleeping in their bedrooms," Wian said.
Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that Virginia drivers going at least 10 mph over the speed limit rose by 50% during the pandemic. Federal data shows that the trend has continued.
