Exmore considers pumping the brakes on yellow arrows

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BY STEFANIE BOWMANN, Eastern Shore Post —

Exmore Mayor Douglas Greer at the Monday, Jan. 13, town council meeting brought back to light concerns about the safety of traffic signals with flashing yellow arrows.

Police Chief Angelo DiMartino reported that there was only one vehicle crash in Exmore in November, a “car versus deer,” but there were seven crashes in December.

“It’s been a pain,” he said.

Of the seven crashes, four involved traffic signals. Three crashes were caused by red light runners and one crash was at a yellow flashing light.

DiMartino raised concerns in August 2024 about the yellow flashing lights that the Virginia Department of Transportation installed at two Exmore intersections.

The lights were installed to improve the safety and efficiency of drivers turning left, but accidents have happened when drivers failed to yield.

“The flashing light, is that something that you have the ability to … do away with?” Greer asked.

“I don’t know,” DiMartino said. “We’re going to keep an eye on the crash data, and we may have to argue” for removing the flashing yellow lights.

When he recently completed a quarterly report for a Virginia DMV grant, he documented the increase in vehicle crashes — 33 in 2024, up from 22 in 2023, DiMartino said.

“Our crashes are going up. That’s not what they want to see,” he said of the DMV.

The flashing yellow arrows are “convenient to some people, but what a gamble,” DiMartino said.

Town Manager Taylor Dukes noted that of the 10 traffic signals in Northampton County, five are in Exmore, and VDOT plans to have flashing yellow lights at all five of them.

He said town officials want cameras installed on Exmore’s traffic signals to catch red light runners, but Virginia Code permits traffic cameras only in towns with populations of at least 10,000.

Dukes asked the town council members to contact Del. Robert Bloxom or State Sen. Bill DeSteph to request legislative assistance in the matter.

Dukes called U.S. Route 13 a “dangerous highway.”

“That’s most of the crashes … red light runners,” he said. “We need to do something if we can.”

DiMartino said that Exmore never received its November check for police fines collected by the Northampton County General District Court, more than $52,000.

Town staff contacted the court clerk, and a new check was issued within about an hour, he said.

Police fines of more than $481,000 were collected for Exmore in fiscal year 2024.

DiMartino announced the hiring of new officer Angel Matteo, who will start the police academy this month and is expected to graduate in June.

Matteo is a former U.S. Marine, and he worked for Virginia811, formerly Miss Utility, before he was hired by Exmore.

“He’s fitting in well,” DiMartino said. “He’s going to be a good asset to the town.”

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