City begins camera enforcement during rush hour

Aug. 2, 2024 - The City of Hampton has begun using traffic camera enforcement at specific locations during weekday rush hour as part of a safety program and in a continued effort to discourage motorists from using residential neighborhoods as a detour to avoid highway congestion.

Cameras went active on Aug. 1 on the Mallory Street Bridge in Phoebus and on Settlers Landing Road in front of the Hampton University campus, directed at motorists who are attempting to access the entrance ramps to eastbound Interstate 64 headed toward the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel from 3-6 p.m. weekdays. The month of August will serve as a grace period, during which violators will receive written warnings but no citations. Starting on Sept. 1, violators will receive $50 fines for running the red lights in those locations.

The city has been working to discourage motorists from exiting I-64 eastbound during the afternoon commute and driving through downtown, Phoebus or other neighborhoods in an attempt to circumvent highway congestion resulting from the HRBT Expansion Project. The additional heavy traffic creates problems for residents and businesses, and it necessitates more maintenance and repairs on city streets.

The next phase of the safety program will be timed to the start of the school year on Aug. 26, with cameras positioned in school zones to identify speeders who do not obey the electronic notice of a reduced speed limit in the mornings and afternoons when students are arriving and departing. The camera enforcement will start with seven schools identified as having the most consistent problem with speeding motorists. The program will expand to at least 12 school zones. As with the red light cameras, there will be a 30-day grace period during which violators will receive written warnings. After the grace period, violators will begin receiving citations and fines of $100.

The city is working with the contractor Verra Mobility on the implementation of this program.

While the Virginia Department of Transportation supports Hampton's traffic safety efforts, VDOT is not involved with the use of camera enforcement, and all questions should be directed to the City of Hampton.