A new electronic speed sign will monitor drivers as they travel down Mill Street in Occoquan.
The sign was placed on an existing sign pole at the intersection of Mill and Union streets by Prince William County Police. Officers said the sign was requested by Occoquan Police Chief Sheldon Levi.
The sign uses radar and monitors the speeds of vehicles and electronically sends it to a computer owned and operated by the county police department. A digital display shows drivers how fast they are traveling.
The speed limit on Mill Street is 25 mph. The thoroughfare runs along the Occoquan River and is the heart of the town’s business district with several small shops and restaurants.
These small, digital signs have been in use for the past two years, according to police. They are smaller and easier to deploy than the older trailers. Officers used to use, equipped with radar devices that detected speed and provided a digital readout to drivers that showed them how fast they were going. The trailers, which were used on major thoroughfares and neighborhood streets throughout the county as a speeding deterrent, reached the end of the serviceable life, according to police.
The county police department will collect and organize the data. Afterward, information about vehicle speeds along Mill Street obtain by the data collector will be provided to Occoquan police. It will be in place for about a week, according to police.
Historically, Occoquan has been used as a cut through for commuters traveling south from Route 123 from Fairfax to Prince William County. Instead of proceeding to the intersection of Route 123 and Old Bridge Road, commuters cut through the Town of Occoquan to access Tanyard Hill Road to Old Bridge Road. This traffic pattern has created more afternoon traffic congestion in the small town.
