Mario Brandon, a Richmond resident, told the Public Safety Standing Committee that Sims Avenue has seen “over 30 something accidents this past year” and presented more than 200 petition signatures asking the city to install automated speed-enforcement cameras and mail citations to violators.

Brandon said the most recent crash almost reached his home. “The wheel, the axle came off the car,” he said, describing an incident that left bystanders shouting to warn him. He urged the committee to act “ASAP” and said residents were frustrated by repeated promises that no action had yet produced results.

The petition asks for automated cameras that would issue tickets by mail; Brandon said he understood speed bumps were not feasible for the corridor. He also invoked a past fatality involving a former Huguenot High School student as part of the urgency behind the neighbors’ request.

Committee members accepted Brandon’s packet of petitions and indicated city staff and public safety leadership would follow up; a committee member noted the police chief was present and could speak with Brandon after the meeting. The comment appeared during the public comment period and did not trigger a committee vote or formal direction recorded in the minutes.

The presentation took place during the meeting’s public comment period and the committee did not adopt any immediate changes to traffic engineering or enforcement at the meeting. Committee members later discussed speed-camera siting and enforcement during the police chief’s presentation, including the city’s expanding safety camera program and a grace period before citations begin.

Clarifying details from the public comment: the petitioner reported “over 30” crashes on Sims Avenue in the past year; the petition packet contains more than 200 signatures and written comments; the petitioner requested automated cameras and mailed citations as a remedy; he stated that speed bumps are not possible on that street.

The committee did not make a formal decision on Sims Avenue at the meeting; staff follow-up was indicated.