Green Springs residents call for change to problematic intersection

STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - People living in the Green Springs subdivision in Staunton are calling for change at the Ritchie Blvd. and Greenville Ave. intersection.

The intersection is home to highway traffic, subdivision traffic and shopping center traffic. The intersection is the primary outlet for the subdivision and residents say they have to “tighten up their seat belt” driving through the intersection.

“My next door neighbor, he and his wife said they have to double team it,” Matthew Warner, a Green Springs resident, said. “You look that way and I look this way to see if it’s straight to go across. That’s unreasonable, you can see how busy this traffic intersection is and it’s past time to do something about this here better than just a stop sign and a wing and a prayer.”

Warner said the intersection makes him nervous even with over thirty years of driving experience. He said his two sons are getting close to driving age and he “can’t imagine” what they will feel like trying to overcome the intersection.

Warner and other members of the subdivision came together to present their suggestions and frustrations to Jeff Johnston, the public works director for Staunton.

Johnston said the community feedback is a good start, but the process doesn’t happen instantaneously.

“We certainly look at our involvement with VDOT and the rest of the transportation planning team as ongoing,” Johnston said.

Johnston said an idea of installing a median to prevent through traffic and limit left turns on to Ritchie Blvd. was discussed, but the idea has not been made into a plan. Warner said that is not enough to curb the traffic issues and make the residents happy.

“I don’t think that’s a satisfactory solution, I would rather see a traffic light or a traffic circle there,” Warner said.

Johnston said the difficulty behind installing a traffic signal at the intersection would be signal boxes. He said the light must be on the same signal box as the light that’s 0.08 miles away from the intersection.

Johnston said the deliberation and execution of a process is slowed when multiple organizations and entities are involved.

“It’s a lengthy process, but there is a process and transportation planners at the planning commission, VDOT and the city of Staunton are talking about these things regularly.,” Johnston said. “Not just this intersection, but a lot of the intersections across the city.”

Johnston said any changes made to one intersection or any part near the intersection, will have an impact on the rest of the city in terms of traffic flow.

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