Sperryville residents speak up: A matter of public safety

We are writing to express our wholehearted support of the Joint Resolution for Improved Pedestrian Safety and Tra c Calming Measures, created by the Sperryville Community Alliance (SCA) in close cooperation with the Piedmont District Representative and Board of Supervisors Chairperson Christine Smith.

The resolution was largely co-dra ed by and presented to the BOS by SCA o cers Kerry Sutten and Susan Hu at the July 6th BOS meeting in hopes of being voted on and approved, as this is an urgent matter of public safety in our village of Sperryville.

Unfortunately, Chairperson Smith chose to delay the vote and requested 30 additional days to review potential opposition to the resolution.

We are frustrated and confused by this delay and demand to know why more time is necessary, especially given the fact BOS members from all other districts were prepared to vote at the July 6 meeting.

Furthermore, Ms. Smith is familiar with the language and content of the resolution as she has been working with the SCA on this matter.

And lastly, the SCA has invited supporters and potential opposers of the resolution to several public meetings over the last year.

Tra c and pedestrian safety in Sperryville has been an issue for years and appears to be worsening every day. We regularly travel the streets and roads of Sperryville — as pedestrians and motorists. We each reside on a major and highly travelled thoroughfare in our village. One of us operates a business in our village. We traverse the village and witness the tra c on a daily basis in our comings and goings — on our own and with our children. Therefore, we believe we are able to make an accurate assessment of the tra c and pedestrian patterns needing urgent attention.

This is a dire situation that demands immediate action. The solutions outlined in the Joint Resolution for Improved Pedestrian Safety and Tra c Calming Measures have our full support.

We can recall, collectively, at least a dozen incidents where we or our children (as pedestrians) were put in danger by passing motorists in Sperryville.

The current tra c and pedestrian infrastructure is inadequate and was not designed for the modern needs/ growth of Sperryville.

While we understand there are limitations for changing the landscape of existing tra c patterns, there seem to be simple, relatively inexpensive solutions —outlined in this joint resolution — that we can implement NOW to increase the safety of citizens living in and passing through Sperryville.

Potentially devastating, even deadly, consequences can transpire in a split second. This is especially true for incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians.

We speak for our village — our friends, neighbors, parents, children, business owners, and others. We want e ort and dedication from our elected representative to solve this increasingly dangerous problem that our community faces every day.

We are available to discuss this issue and/or provide further testimony from us as to why this is of the utmost importance for our village and community. We consider this an urgent priority.

Please listen to our voices and take action NOW.