Bellevue Residents’ Concerns About Traffic Rerouting Fall on Deaf Ears

07.2023

The City of Richmond did not listen to the legitimate complaints Northside residents had about rerouting traffic through the heart of Bellevue as the City began a long overdue sewer replacement project on Hermitage Road that should take about two months to complete. 

As a result of that project the City planned to detour traffic away from Hermitage. Unfortunately, they proposed rerouting all of that traffic along Bellevue Avenue through the very heart of a residential neighborhood. All too often, some careless drivers, using Bellevue as a short cut from Hermitage to Brook Road, speed recklessly through this neighborhood endangering the lives of pedestrians and cyclists alike. 

Earlier in June the Bellevue Civic Association (BCA) met with April Bingham, director of Department of Public Utilities, and Third District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert to express their concerns about the proposed detour. 

BCA President Tim Pfohl wrote the following about that meeting: “We urgently request that all reasonable effort be made to expand the detour - and thereby spread the inevitable impacts - to other nearby streets and options including Westbrook Avenue and the I-95 southbound entrance ramp. As we suggested, much of the southbound Hermitage traffic is bound for locations such as Scotts Addition, The Diamond, and other locations that could be easily accessed by encouraging drivers to use the Bryan Park I-95 entrance ramp to bypass the project area. Furthermore, Westbrook Avenue offers an equally viable signalized route to Brook Road and downtown destinations, and one which - while also residential - has benefitted from some traffic calming measures.

“In contrast, rerouting two lanes from a state route to Bellevue Avenue, which has only one lane in each direction, and which is already subject to excessive speeds above the 25 mph limit, would severely impact adjoining residences and sidestreets. 

“We urge the sewer project leadership to expand the detour options as proposed, through both signage and public education efforts, and we commit to work with DPU to disseminate project information so as to minimize negative project impacts on drivers, residents, pedestrians, bicyclists and overall safety in the area.”

The City apparently ignored these concerns about the public safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, many of whom are children. 

Tim Pfohl of the BCA recently wrote this: “The electronic sign at Hermitage and Bryan Park Avenue not only does NOT mention Westbrook or I-95 as alternative detours as we suggested, but in fact solely reinforces directing all detour traffic onto Bellevue Avenue. 

“So effectively, DPU and its contractor ignored our suggestions . . . This is extremely distressing, and is NOT the type of response to citizen concerns that the City supposedly aspires to. 

“We expect better, and will be looking for immediate adjustments to the project's traffic plan including the need for a 25 MPH speed limit sign on Bellevue Avenue just east of Hermitage Road as requested this week.”