How Henrico is addressing pedestrian deaths on its roads

By Bettina Johnson, Special to the Citizen

During the past year, Henrico County has witnessed 70 crashes involving pedestrians – 11 of which resulted in fatalities, according to Henrico Police Executive Chief Ken Burnett. That total has already surpassed the number of pedestrian deaths the county experienced last year (nine).

One of the most recent fatalities was 15-year-old Nathaniel Clark, Jr., who was struck and killed by a vehicle Sept. 8 while walking home along Staples Mill Road from his job at Firehouse Subs in the nearby Staples Mill Square shopping center.

During a Henrico County press conference Oct. 22, Clark’s mother, Ashley Fisher, spoke about the importance of pedestrian safety and urged county and state officials to take action to make roads safer.

“I am sad, you know, but I do walk everyday knowing that he would want me to ensure that something changes.” Fisher said of her son.

During the press conference, held as part of Pedestrian Safety Month, Henrico officials outlined some of the steps they’re taking to help protect pedestrians.

“We have a significant task ahead of us to retrofit our county into a place that is truly safe for pedestrians and cyclists. The numbers speak for themselves,” said Henrico Public Works Director Terrell Hughes, noting that the county has more than 1,400 miles of roads in its system but only 276 miles of sidewalks, 45 miles of paved trails and 33 miles of bike lanes. “But I want to assure you that we are making progress. In recent years, we’ve been working hard to expand those numbers by constructing new sidewalks, adding bike lanes and installing safe crosswalks.”

A total of 57 active pedestrian safety projects are underway (valued at $170 million dollars) – projects that include an additional 13 miles of sidewalks, 10 miles of shared-use paths, and numerous pedestrian crosswalks, he said.

County officials also have reduced the speed limit on more than 100 county roads in recent years and are encouraging the Virginia Department of Transportation to do the same on key state roads in the county, including Staples Mill Road, Hughes said.

And recently, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors allocated $1.5 million to install priority pedestrian lighting along key roadways that have witnessed pedestrian safety issues. Officials are working to prioritize those spots, Hughes said.

“Nearly 90% of pedestrian fatalities occur during nighttime hours when visibility is low,” he said.

Hughes and other county officials wore the county’s neon yellow vests that contain the acronym “WOAH!” on the back, which stands for “Watch Out Ahead Henrico.” The county debuted the vests, which are free and are available at police stations, county government building, public libraries and recreation centers, earlier this year.

Bayard encouraged people to wear a vest and emphasized the importance of high visibility, especially at night. Pedestrian crashes “leave a lasting mark on first responders,” he said.

Added Burnett: “One of the most difficult tasks our officers face is having to tell a family that their loved one died.”