I support all of the bills above.

I support all of the bills above.

Subject: Support for House Bill 1801 Dear Members of the Transportation Committee, I am writing to express my support for House Bill 1801, which seeks to enhance safety within school boundary zones. Please note that I am writing as an individual and not on behalf of the Mayor or Roanoke City Council. As a Councilman for the City of Roanoke, ensuring traffic and pedestrian safety for students is one of my top priority. I believe this bill provides an important opportunity to empower local governments to address unique community needs and implement tailored solutions that best serve their residents. By advancing this legislation, we can take an important step toward creating safer environments for our students. Thank you for your advocacy and commitment to improving transportation safety across Virginia. Best regards, Phazhon Nash Councilman, Roanoke City Council phazhon.nash@roanokeva.gov

I strongly support this bill, given the shocking increase in pedestrian fatalities nationwide, as well as within Virginia, and also where I live in Fairfax County. After two children in my community walking home from school were killed, and a third seriously injured, by a reckless driver, the county installed a 25 mph school zone in the area immediately adjacent to the school. However, due to current school zone limits the implemented school zone is so small as to not include the crash location, and only covers a very small fraction of the school's walkshed. Students walk from as far away as 1 mile (with no buses provided), yet are only protected from speeding, distracted drivers in the last 750 feet? This bill will help protect the state's school children and impose no meaningful burden on people driving. Thank you.

I SUPPORT HB1801 which would increase the maximum boundaries of a school crossing zone from 750 feet to 1500 feet (0.28 mile) for the purpose of installing portable warning signs for motorists approaching schools during school arrival and dismissal times . Expanded school crossing zone boundaries would increase the safety of children and adults walking, rolling, or bicycling to the school by better promoting slower driving speeds by motorists who are approaching crosswalks in close proximity to a school. Often, such crosswalks may be located more than 750 feet from a school boundary. Promoting safe active mobility among school children is vital to their proper physical development and to instill healthy life-long active living habits at a young age. Thank you for your consideration.

Vehicles utilized by entities licensed by DBHDS respond to police requests just as frequently and have to put their vehicle in potentially dangerous situations on certain scenes, particularly in urban areas.

I would like to update my posted remarks of January 15 to the Transportation Committee. On November 23 my daughter, son-in-law and 6-1/2 year old granddaughter arrived for Thanksgiving. Their first visit here since the Pandemic. We filled our days with river walks, zoos, museums and restaurants, too busy to pay attention to the news. So, we were blissfully unaware that 4 blocks from my home a speeding driver on Semmes Avenue hit 3 other cars, flipped two of them, injured 4 people and almost hit a walking neighbor. Thankfully, there were no deaths this time. It takes a long time for families to heal from the trauma of a car crash. News or views of one bring back the horror. Fate spared our family from revisiting Shawman’s death. I have learned that a Corvette can achieve 100mph within one city block. Driving at that speed is not an accident, it is a choice. I think HB2036 clearly delineates a concise pathway to establish charges, convictions and penalties for irresponsible driving. Potential perpetrators will have knowledge of what is unacceptable and the penalties if they choose to disregard this law. Police will have a clear understanding when to cite or arrest. Prosecutors can decide what to pursue. And, Judges can deliver swift justice for both the accused and the victims and their families. This is a good law that is needed.

I support HB 1664, HB 1666, HB 1673, and HB 2041. As a Richmond resident who lives on a busy street, I am shocked at the disregard of many drivers for speed limits, traffic safety, and human life. We need to control speed limits, but police departments have other demands on their time that, understandably, make traffic enforcement a lower priority. Please help make our streets safer by supporting these bills.

In the early morning hours of August 28, 2022, in Chicago, Shawman Detterman Meireis was struck by a 103mph, speeding Corvette while waiting to cross the street. She and her boyfriend were among a small group of people who had just left a concert.. In a split second, 2 blocks up the street, 2 Corvette drivers revved their engines and slammed down their accelerators, careening toward the group. One driver lost control. Only Shawman was hit and died within minutes. In a moment, gone was my son-in-law's sister, his mother's daughter, his wife's sister-in-law, and the beloved aunt of his 4-1/2 year old daughter and teen-aged nephews. A loss solely because 2 men needed a moment's cheap thrill. It took months to identify and track down both drivers, bring them to court and years to result in a sentence of only probation and community service. Years of heartache for Shawman's family. By amending Virginia's laws we can help prevent this occurrence from happening here. I live in the City of Richmond where I hear the sounds of racing, screeching vehicles nightly as joy-riders do wheelies, weaving races, and jack-rabbit starts, competing with other drivers across the Belvidere (Lee) bridge, down Riverside Drive, up side streets and back-and-forth along Semmes Avenue. Two deaths due to speeding and racing have occurred right in front of the fire station. One vehicle actually hit a rescue truck. When I wait in traffic to turn onto my street, I hold my breath. When I cross the street at a nearby light or crosswalk, I wait to make sure everyone has completely stopped, and even then, scurry as quickly as I can. The local precinct police have described to the Woodland Heights Civic Association how difficult it is to catch these drivers, prosecute them, and get a judge who will exact significant repercussions. Passing HB2036 would be a step in the right direction.

both towing associations and myself support this legislation as it will help make the work we do a little more safe by giving advance information to drivers