SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Kent Hall was in the process of moving from Suffolk, but he wasn’t able to move fast enough before getting a speeding ticket while driving through one of the city’s work zones.

Hall, who now lives in Pennsylvania, emailed 10 On Your Side and the city of Suffolk about it, taking issue with the signage and other aspects of the new work and school zone speed enforcement.

“I think motorists need to be properly warned,” Hall said, “and not having the proper signage both size and distance is unfair and the city is unfairly fining motorists.”

It’s an issue that has festered for months in Suffolk. Anyone caught speeding in school and construction zones faces a $100 fine.

10 On Your Side got a tape measure and started measuring at the Pruden Blvd. work zone on 460.

The standard size for advanced warning signs for work zones is 4-feet-by-4-feet with a minimum of 3-feet-by-3-feet.

10 On Your Side measured the signs for announcing the work zone, and found them to be within the standard, and we found them to be visible.

Over at the Holland Road work zone, the first sign announcing it is the right size, but it is sitting on the ground and can not be seen as easily, which is much different than the signs on posts on U.S. Route 460.

“I know the signs on the speed trailer are not the required dimensions,” Hall told 10 On Your Side, and he is correct. It is a much smaller sign, and smaller signs are inside the work zone, which really don’t stand out bold.

No one from Suffolk was available for interview, but they received the same email from Hall. 10 On Your Side has been told that the city’s Public Works Department is reviewing it and checking into the matter.

Steve Augustine lives on busy, loud U.S. Route 460. He said drivers should slow down.

“Read the sign,” he said. “Thirty-five mph, slow down. The road is bad enough as it is.”

And look how speeding citations have fallen off:

Pruden Boulevard (U.S. Route 460)

  • June 15 to July 15 — 18,740 speeding citations
  • Oct. 15- Nov. 15 — 3,380 speeding citations

Holland Road

  • June 15-July 15 — 19,877 citations
  • Oct. 16 to Nov. 15 — 8,028 citations

“I had someone come visit, they got the ticket on the way in, and on the way out I said ‘watch your speed limit, there’s police.’ Well, they got a tick on the way home, so they got two in two hours,” Augustine said.

The city also said of the more than 105,000 issued citations, only 665, or less than 1%, were contested in court.