Title
Ordinance to Amend and Reenact the City Code of the City of Hampton, Virginia by Amending Chapter 21, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, and Adding Article X Entitled, “Additional Fine for Exceeding the Maximum Speed on Designated Residential Streets”
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The City of Hampton (the “City”) continues to explore options to reduce excessive speeding in residential neighborhoods. City Council and City staff have heard concerns from citizens that speeders in their neighborhoods pose a serious danger to persons and property. There are various traffic calming tools that may be implemented to reduce speeding and improve safety. One tool is to adopt an additional fine ordinance for exceeding the maximum speed on designated residential streets as allowed by the Code of Virginia § 46.2-878.2. Under that Code of Virginia section, operation of any motor vehicle in excess of a maximum speed limit established for a highway in a residence district of the City, when indicated by appropriately placed signs displaying the maximum speed limit and the penalty for violations, shall be unlawful and constitute a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of $200, in addition to other penalties provided by law. No portion of the fine shall be suspended unless the court orders 20 hours of community service.
Under this ordinance, criteria will be set and used by the City’s Public Works Division and traffic studies will be conducted to determine if certain City streets should be designated as additional fine streets. Those studies can be requested in 2 ways: 1) upon receipt by the City of a petition signed by at least seventy-five (75) percent of the owners or tenants of all residential structures having lot frontage upon a residential street, or portion thereof; or 2) the City Manager may cause to be conducted or the City Council may, on its own initiative, direct the City Manager or City Manager’s designee to cause to be conducted necessary and material traf...
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