A proposal advancing through the Virginia Legislature would give state and local police the authority to conduct traffic enforcement along the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The 22-mile stretch of highway is patrolled by U.S. Park Police, but some lawmakers say federal traffic enforcement is lacking and safety is at risk.
"I have been there and held people while they cried,” said Evelyn Kent, who lives along the GW Parkway. “There was a fatal accident there back in the summer, and that poor woman's life has been completely devastated."
Built almost a century ago as a path from D.C. to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Fairfax County, the GW Parkway has become a major thoroughfare. The GW Parkway is federal property and under the jurisdiction of U.S. Park Police, but Kent said she doesn’t see a lot of Park Police patrolling.
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“What they've told us is that there are only two for the entire parkway, and that's a lot of space to go, right?" she said.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, noticed a lack of enforcement, too.
“The Park Police have basically vanished, and there's been a lot of speeding,” he said. “There's accidents weekly."
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The state Senate passed one of Surovell's bills Wednesday that would allow local and Virginia State Police to assist Park Police with traffic enforcement in hopes of catching speeders and increasing safety for local commuters and tourists.
“The Mount Vernon estate is the number one historic tourist asset in the commonwealth of Virginia,” Surovell said. “It's important the road stays safe."
If the proposal passes and becomes law, it also would allow speed cameras along the parkway, which drew pushback from some Republicans.
"I'm not enthusiastic about speed cameras or other use of cameras in law enforcement," said Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke.
The bill now heads to the House of Delegates for approval.
Whether it's with speed cameras or additional police patrol, neighbors say something must be done — and soon.
“We can't just do nothing,” Kent said. “People know that there's no enforcement there."
U.S. Park Police said it does not comment on pending legislation, but it will follow any new law that passes.
