With a constant flow of new drivers, students, and pedestrians, an increase in accidents was occurring in the already incident-filled area at the intersection at Twin Hickory Lake Drive. Concerned citizens decided enough iwasenough and pushed for a change via a petition on Change.org.
Janna Kiseeva, a concerned Twin Hickory community member, started the “Safe Crossings Now: Petition for Intersection Safety at Twin Hickory Lake Drive“ on January 24, 2024. In the petition, she listed the reasons why a roundabout would be so necessary for the safety of the Twin Hickory community. With a combination of people trying to beat the Short Pump traffic, passersby, and pedestrians, mixed with the hilly terrain and poor layout, there were constant accidents in the areas.
In the petition description, Kiseeva stated, “We’ve seen 13 crashes (6 of 13 in 2023) and that number only is going up.”
One example would be the 2018 incident, where a few children were hit with an SUV while sledding in the area. This is just one of many accidents that have happened in this intersection, starting a fire storm in the community to want to make a change. Kiseeva emphasized the danger of this intersection and how it can be a hazard in the petition. “It’s not just a crossroads; it’s where our daily lives intersect with real danger,” Kiseeva said.
Kiseeva and the petition signers were met with a surprise, posting a follow up on Aug. 11, 2024, stating “Together, we made it happen!” The original petition reached 349 signatures, enough for the Henrico County Board of Supervisors to take note and implement a temporary roundabout system with traffic cones marking where the future permanent structure would be. Due to this slight change, accident rates have already slowed down, with safer pedestrian passage and slower driving, as stated in the follow up to the petition, with no recent reported accidents.
In the update, Kiseeva states that the petition was “a monumental success” and that their hard work had paid off. They had constructive meetings with the Department of Public Works and local Board of Supervisors representative, Misty Whitehead, pushing for this change. Their persistent efforts had an effect on the safety of the Twin Hickory community. When people who care about their surroundings get together to do something for the community, it gets done and improves the lives of many.
“This achievement is a testament to the strength of community action,” Kiseeva said in the recent post.
The roundabout is an important measure that will change the future safety of the community for the better. Not only will it positively affect the community’s safety, but it also shows how far willpower can get people. With constant pushing and communication with the county, this roundabout came to be in a little under eight months. It shows how joining forces can get things done, even if it feels like it would be impossible to make such a big change. Even in tough situations, if one has a group of people backing them up, a change will be made. The roundabout is a great example of why one should stand up for what they believe in because the person standing up likely won’t be standing alone.
