Richmond, you need to go on a diet – a “road diet”, that is!

Roadway rechannelizations – or “road diets” – take streets that have an excess amount of carrying capacity for cars and reconfigures how the space is used through re-striping of the lane lines. When done right, a good road diet actually improves traffic flow while dramatically increasing the safety of everyone using the road, including people on bikes (by adding bike lanes), on foot (by improving pedestrian crossings), and behind the wheel (by reducing speeding and collisions).

How a road diet might work.

Richmond has a number of streets that can easily go on a diet. Best practice says that most roads with four or more travel lanes and an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volume of 20,000 cars or less can be reconfigured to one lane in each direction, a center turn lane, and bike lanes.

Full disclosure: I am not a traffic engineer. But it doesn’t necessarily take one to see that some of Richmond’s roadways are significantly overbuilt for cars, and underbuilt for bicycles. Here’s my top seven:

The Leigh Street Viaduct (or MLK Bridge): If you’ve driven across this bridge, you’ve probably noticed there are three lanes in each direction and very little automobile traffic. It’s an important connector from downtown to Church Hill and with an ADT of 9,100 automobiles, this is a perfect candidate for a road diet. In fact, Mayor Jones has already announced plans to stripe wide buffered bike lanes on the bridge by this June.

Brookland Parkway: Between Hermitage and Brook, Brookland Parkway has four travel lanes, two very narrow parking lanes, and a wide center median. A road diet on Brookland Parkway could increase the width of the parking lane (so your car door isn’t hanging out in traffic), and include a nice wide bike lane in each direction. Extend this further east, and you’re connected to the Cannon Creek Greenway.

What Franklin St. would look like with a road diet and bike lanes. Credit: Marc Kaplan/Sports Backers

Manchester Bridge: One of the biggest bicycle and pedestrian challenges we have in Richmond is how to safely get across the James River. The Brown’s Island Dam Walk will be the great new shining star of the riverfront once it’s completed, but the Manchester Bridge is just waiting for new striping that will make biking across safe and easy. With seven total travel lanes and an ADT of 18,000 cars, the Manchester Bridge needs to go on a diet!

Hermitage Road: Hermitage is a major north/south connector from the Northside into the Fan. It also has a bunch of extra carrying capacity. Sharrows were installed on Hermitage over the past couple of years, but wouldn’t a fully separated bike lane be so much better?

Leigh Street (again): One of the best east/west connectors through central Richmond, Leigh Street generally has a lot of extra room for bike lanes. It cinches down to two lanes at times (that’s what sharrows are for), but for the most part, you can easily wedge a bike lane in there and ride comfortably all the way from Scott’s Addition to Church Hill.

Brook Road: Another important north/south connector to and from downtown for many commuters and families. Speaking of downtown…

The MLK Bridge on a road diet and with bike lanes. Credit: Marc Kaplan/Sports Backers

Franklin Street and Main Street: The idea here is to convert one travel lane on each street into a fully protected bike lane. On Franklin, you’d be biking east and on Main, heading west (this type of relationship is called a “couplet”). Franklin and Main have the potential to be Richmond’s first protected bike lanes (or “cycle tracks”) running right through downtown.

There are many other great candidates for road diets out there not listed here. And you know them better than I do, because they are in your neighborhood – you walk, bike, or drive them every day. So what are they, RVA?

On Feb. 18th dozens of Richmond residents piled into the Virginia War Memorial to hear city planners and politicians discuss the first step in implementing the city’s much-debated, much-anticipated Riverfront Plan. The focus centered around the Brown’s Island Dam Walk, which would connect Brown’s Island to Manchester on the south side of the river via a metal footbridge designed specifically for pedestrians.

The current Vepco Levy Bridge (right), is slated to be reborn as the Brown’s Island Dam Walk. Credit: Phil Riggan

The meeting that night and the dam walk have drawn much press, including here at RichmondOutside.com. Mayor Dwight Jones, in a seeming indication of his seriousness of purpose regarding the Riverfront Plan, attended that public forum and spoke first. He said that while in the past the city’s riverfront has grown be default, now it will grow by design. Other speakers said it was the intention of the city to have the project completed before the World Road Cycling Championships come to Richmond in September 2015.

Makes sense, right? Supposedly hundreds of thousands of visitors will descend on Richmond. If we’re going to build this centerpiece pedestrian bridge linking the north and south banks of the river, why not have it ready for guests? (And let’s be honest, the Redskins training camp project disabused us of the illusion that large city projects have to take a long time.)

Today, however, comes the news that all those visitors, not to mention 1.2 million Central Virginians, might not find a pedestrian bridge across the river come September 2015. The Times-Dispatch’s Graham Moomaw reports that “the latest budget proposal from Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones offers no new money for the implementation of the city’s Riverfront Plant.”

Moomaw goes on to write that “in the past two budget years, the city has allocated almost $5 million in capital funds to help jump-start the Riverfront Plant…(the mayor’s press secretary Tammy) Hawley said jones pushed for the initial $5 million and that the Riverfront Plan is a priority for him.”

If so, he has a funny way of showing it. His budget for FY 2015 makes no mention of the Riverfront Plan. How to explain the mayor’s presence at the Riverfront Plan public forum in February and his stated desire to see the plan come to life and this budget proposal?

Hawley told Moomaw that the administration will be adding more riverfront money into future budgets. She also said that the city expects $2.5 million in matching funds from the state this year, which would be added to the $4 million they have on hand ($1 million of that $5 million has already been spent). The questions then become: What if that $2.5 million doesn’t come through? And, if it does, what if $6.5 million isn’t enough to get it done in time? I’ve spoken with people familiar with the planning  and implementation of the Riverfront Plan who mentioned $7.5 million as a likely minimum cost for the Dam Walk.

Here’s the view from the north looking south at the existing Vepco Levy Bridge that no longer connects Brown’s Island to Manchester.

The James River Association is concerned. They put out a press release last week saying, in part, “Providing additional funding in FY 15 is critical to the completion of the first project under the Riverfront Plan, the Brown’s Island Dam Walk, as well as to plan other projects such as trail improvements on Chapel Island, a new public park at the Lehigh Cement site and the ‘Missing Link’ trail between Manchester and Belle Isle.”

Beth Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Virginia Capital Trail, is too. A portion of the Capital Trail just east of Great Shiplock Park is bound up in the Riverfront Plan machinations as well. “We were all shocked to learn of this,” she said.

Am I missing something? The Riverfront Plan was the result of a long, expensive process. It has broad support among Richmonders. In words, anyway, it seemed to have similar support from the most powerful politician in Richmond — Mayor Jones. Now that support is in very much in question because, while words are a good start, it’s money that builds bridges.

Work continues on the construction of the 55-mile Virginia Capital Trail, which will eventually connect all three of Virginia’s historical capitals — Richmond, Williamsburg and Jamestown. The eight-mile Charles City Courthouse section of the path is complete and offers a great time in the country for cyclists.

This phase of the trail – one of nine — parallels historic Route 5, designated by the Department of Transportation as 
a scenic area. Along this stretch of Route 5 are the birthplaces of two U.S. Presidents, three churches, and several picturesque private farms.

Old Charles City Courthouse

Cyclists may park their vehicles either at the Charles City Courthouse complex or the newly constructed rest area at Little Herring Creek. From either point, the trail offers safe cycling off the main road on a separate paved surface. If you park your vehicle at the 
courthouse complex, you’ll find public rest
rooms, a description of the first courthouse
 that dates from the 1730s, and the
 Courthouse Grille, which is housed in the
 old general store that dates from 1872.

The old courthouse building is made of 
brick and in its original state, was almost 
identical to the old courthouse in Hanover
County. The old and new courthouses are 
off Route 5 on SR 644 and motorists simply 
follow the signs to the complex and park 
in the ample lot.

After checking the air pressure in your 
tires, you’re ready to proceed west for the eight-mile ride. The trail actually starts once you pass by the Post Office and Memorial United Methodist Church, which you’ll see on your left. The first historic site at this point of the trail is the privately owned Greenway Farm. The house was built around 1776 by John Tyler, who served as Governor of Virginia from 1808 to 1811. His son, also named John, became Governor of Virginia and was later elected Vice President during the 1840 Presidential race along with Presidential candidate William Henry Harrison.

The next few miles of the trail pass farms and wooded areas. The bridges on this stretch have been constructed over waterways and have safety rails included. After passing through one of the wooded areas a few miles west of Greenway, the cyclist comes to a clearing then the driveway of Evelynton.

Westover Church

This estate was once part of the huge Westover plantation. In 1847 the Ruffin family took possession of the place. Edmund Ruffin has been described as the Father of American Agronomy. As with most farms in Charles City County, Evelynton was invaded by Federal forces during the Civil War. The main house was burned at that time. The present structure was built in 1937 by Ruffin’s great-grandson and designed by architect Duncan Lee.

Close by Evelynton is Westover Church. As with Evelynton, the tract of land on which the church stands was once part of the vast Westover plantation. This classic brick structure dates from the 1730s and is surrounded by ancient boxwood and mature trees. After the American Revolution and the disestablishment of the Church of England, Westover Church was abandoned by 1803. It was used as a
barn for thirty years before it was revived
as an Episcopal Church. Legend says
that the first building originally stood next
to the Westover house. The mistress of
Westover, Mrs. Byrd, had a new building
constructed on the present site as a
matter of survival. Southern hospitality
dictated that the mistress of the property
on which the church stood, required her
to serve Sunday supper to the
parishioners after services. This practice
stretched Mrs. Byrd’s energies and
resources too much, so she had the
church relocated.

During the Civil War, Westover Church was used as a stable by Federal officers. Damage from that time was repaired and services resumed in 1867 but without several pieces of communion silver, which disappeared during the Federal occupancy. A descendant of the soldier who took the pieces returned them to the church in the 20th Century, and they are used to this day.

Just west of the church is mile marker 27. There will be more of these as construction of the trail continues.

Cul’s Courthouse Grill.

Further west along Route 5, the trail goes off to the left down an embankment to Little Herring Creek. Here VDOT has built a rest area with parking and picnic facilities. For those cyclists who would rather begin the Charles City Courthouse phase at this point and ride east, this is the place to begin. There are no rest room facilities here.

The turnoff at Little Herring Creek also marks the entrances to both Berkeley and Westover Plantations. The Harrison family built the main house at Berkeley in 1726. Benjamin Harrison V served as a member of the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence. His son, William Henry, was born here in 1772 and was elected President of the US in 1840 with John Tyler as his running mate. Harrison was the first President to die in office after only a month as a result of catching pneumonia on his inauguration day.

Westover was the seat of the Byrd family of Virginia. William Byrd II gave the city of Richmond its name. The main house is believed to have been built around 1750. It is privately owned.

The trail continues past this point one more
mile to Kimages Road. Cyclists will pass 
Edgewood Plantation, a local bed and breakfast that 
has an interesting history. In the spring of 1862, the famous Confederate cavalry general J.E.B.
Stuart circled the Federal Army to determine what
 positions they held. General Stuart and his officers 
stopped for a time at Edgewood. Legend has it one
 of the owner’s daughters swooned when she saw 
the general ride up the driveway. Her ghost is
 sometimes seen in one of the second floor
 windows.

Pedestrian bridge east of Gunn’s Run on the Virginia Capital Trail

When you return to the
 courthouse, do consider stopping by
the Courthouse Grille. The food and
 service are excellent and have
 received positive reviews in the 
Richmond press. Spend a few 
moments looking over the old general
 store ledgers which are on display 
near the front door.

So plan a bike trip out this way. The trail is separate
 from Route 5, and is a safe and
 enjoyable outing for families.

As we reported on Twitter last week, the public forum on the Riverfront Plan that was snowed out last month has been rescheduled to February 18 at 7 p.m. at the Virginia War Memorial.

From the city flyer:

The current Vepco Levy Bridge, will be reborn as the Brown’s Island Dam Walk. Credit: Phil Riggan

As a first step in the implementation of the Richmond Riverfront Plan, the Brown’s Island Dam Walk will transform an industrial era structure into a key connection between both banks of the James River at the center of Richmond’s Riverfront. The BIDW will expand the Riverfront circulation networks — a series of connections providing access along, across, and around the river — to serve a diverse group of users — including persons with disabilities, cyclists, pedestrians, and runners — in their pursuit of alternative transportation, fitness, and the spectacular natural beauty of the Riverfront. The project models ecologically-sensitive and sustainable trail development by minimizing runoff, removing invasive species, and extensively re-planting slopes with native species to result in a diverse array of new or enhanced habitats for the rich flora and fauna of the Riverfront.

About a month ago, Mike Martz of the Times-Dispatch reported that the developers of the parcel east of Great Shiplock Park and below Libby Hill were proposing a new office project for the site. It was to be smaller than former proposals, which drew the ire of preservationists worried about spoiling the “View that named Richmond” from Libby Hill.

The view from Libby Hill. Credit: Church Hill Peoples’ News

Two weeks later, Leighton Powell, Executive Director of Scenic Virginia, and Robert Mills, a principal for Commonwealth Architects, a Richmond firm that is in charge of the Plan of Development for the proposed development, wrote pieces against and for, respectively, the proposed three-story office building project. I’m not here to give my opinion. What caught my eye was Mills’ mention that the plan called for including right-of-way for the Virginia Capital Trail, which must either go through or around the property after leaving the trailhead at Great Shiplock Park.

I called Virginia Capital Trail Foundation Executive Director Beth Weisbrod yesterday to get her thoughts on the proposal. She said that while her group takes no official position on the larger-development-vs.-preserving-the-view argument, “it sounds like it’s in keeping with the Riverfront Plan, and it’s incorporating the trail in a really great alignment. We support the trail’s alignment through the project, but as far as everything else goes, we can’t wade into that.””

The proposed project has the trail go along the river before joining with the yet-to-be-started section where the Lehigh Cement silos now reside. What’s more, Weisbrod said, is that the developer has “offered what we need for the temporary alignment along Dock Street. There’s an easement that goes pretty much the whole length of their property that allows for a temporary trail to go in while this construction is going on. That also is a very important piece that needed to happen and we’re thrilled about that.”

The upshot is that should this project go through, but not be completed by September of 2015,”we won’t have a hole in the trail when the bike race comes through.”

On October 15 at 2 p.m. the public is invited to the official opening of the new and improved Great Shiplock Park. (If you’re not familiar with what’s been going on at this James River Park System parcel on the north side of the river, click here and here.) In her most recent email newsletter, Beth Weisbrod, executive director of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, gives us a thumbnail history of how the park went from overlooked JRPS parcel to ($550,000 later) the Richmond trailhead for the Virginia Capital Trail:

About 18 months ago, as we were preparing for the city approval process of our trailhead design, we were challenged by Meg Turner of Capital Trees to think bigger. She introduced us to Jay Hugo and Jill Nolt of the architecture firm 3North, who showed us in drawings what she meant — how the whole park could call out to trail users to sit, enjoy the views of the Kanawha Canal and James River, and take in the beauty and history. Lucky for us, Richmond has several corporate citizens, private foundations, other nonprofits, and individuals who also like to think big and share a passion to make Richmond a better place. What we’ll be cutting the ribbon on next week is the result of a successful mix of partners, collaborators, and generous supporters, to the huge benefit of anyone passing through downtown Richmond along Dock Street or the Virginia Capital Trail. 

Ramps now take users across the James River and Kanawha Canal from the park to Chapel Island.

Just across the entrance to the park, trailhead amenities like benches, shade structures, and bike racks encourage people to stop. The views, history, and other nearby attractions will encourage them to linger. We built ramps on either side of the Kanawha Canal locks so that wheels can easily cross them and people can enjoy the new trails on Chapel Island. We added light poles to make it safer at night, and bright LED lights along the Trail that run off of solar panels. On the western edge of the park, our friends at Capital Trees designed a biofilter to cleanse rainwater before it goes into the river. They also added landscaping, not just to make the park pretty, but to further manage stormwater in an environmentally friendly way. 

I met up with Weisbrod last week to hear about the project, and she said she’d love to see as many Richmonders as possible flood the park for the October 15th ribbon cutting. The mayor will be there, as will other civic leaders, and they need to know that while this trailhead is now complete, there is much work to do to finish Richmond’s portion of the trail.

If there’s one thing I learned at A Look into the Richmond Region’s Bike Future, a presentation and discussion held a couple of weeks ago at the Science Museum of Virginia, it’s that for Richmond to realize its potential as a bike-friendly city, especially ahead of the world cycling championships coming here in September of 2015, it’s that our leaders need to truly understand the value of becoming more bike friendly. That’s why it was good to see Councilman Parker Agelasto and Richmond’s Director of Public Works James Jackson there. It’s also why it was disappointing not to see any other council members or the mayor there.

This matters, as we learned from the video presentations given, because without that buy-in from the top, without those leaders pushing, efforts can be halting, opportunities missed. We saw examples in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. where mayors have been out front and vocal in promoting greenways, bike lanes, bike-sharing programs and a host of other bike-friendly efforts.

I’d like to see Mayor Dwight Jones do the same here. I go back and forth between hope and skepticism, but today there are signs of hope. Randy Hallman has a front-page story in the T-D about the Richmond2015 contingent that recently returned from Florence, where the 2013 world cycling championships were being held.

Among the hopeful quotes from Jones:

“Certain things caught my attention. Florence was extremely clean. … We need to put that on our to-do list.”

“The collaboration with retail merchants and the business community was remarkable,” he said. “They showed tremendous support. There were cycling motifs and displays in windows in practically every shop. Some of the windows were extremely artistic. We have to get our art community involved.”

“We want to be proactive and do the best job we can,” he said. “This is an opportunity to show that we can do it, and just as we did with the Redskins training camp, we can do this.”

What the mayor and others need to know is that it’s not just about window dressing and preparing for the onslaught of tourists. It’s about doing the little things now that will pay dividends long after those tourists are gone. It’s about thinking about bikes and pedestrians in every road project going forward. It’s about investing, not lip service, in projects like adding bike racks or developing a bike share program.

It’ll be two years before the eyes of the world are on Richmond. But our leaders need to know that the eyes of Richmond are on them right now.