At a Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 19, local proponents spoke in favor of the Richmond Connects transportation plan.

Speakers shared their hopes for the plan and its priorities — from major projects like the Fall Line Trail to improving safety for kids walking to Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. The multimodal plan aims to guide city decisions and funding for transportation projects for the next ten years and beyond.

Richmond Connects is divided into two parts — the Action Plan and the Strategic Plan. The Action Plan includes the aspects of transportation that Richmonders identified as the most in need of improvement.

Once projects and strategies from the Action Plan are completed, additional elements from the umbrella Strategic Plan can be put in place.

Public transit advocates highlight reduced carbon emissions compared to driving. | Photo by RICtoday

After more than two years of work, the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility released the first draft in Nov. 2023.

At the commitee meeting, RVA Rapid Transit Executive Director Faith Walker praised the public outreach efforts of Richmond Connects. The team conducted several surveys, telephone town halls, focus groups, and community meetings in higher-need neighborhoods throughout the process.

Explore the map of priority and near-term projects to see what improvements could be coming to your neighborhood.

The interactive map lets you click on specific projects to learn exactly what improvements are proposed. | Map via Richmond Connects

High priority projects include:

Safety improvements on Laburnum Avenue, Chamberlayne Avenue, Brook Road, North Avenue, Westbrook Avenue, and Forest Hill Avenue
Street lighting in Church Hill
GRTC projects including extending the Pulse east, adding a North-South BRT line, and adding shelters, seating, and trash cans at bus stops
Traffic calming measures on Fairfield Avenue, Williamsburg Road, Semmes Avenue, Cowardin Avenue, and Fairmount Avenue
Reconnecting Jackson Ward

The public engagement doesn't end here — City Council is scheduled to vote on the plan at its Monday, March 25 meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. You can attend and provide public comment virtually or in-person.