A nearly unanimous decision on Monday by Richmond’s City Council is setting the stage for Richmond to pursue making Floyd Ave. a bicycling boulevard.
A nearly unanimous decision on Monday by Richmond’s City Council is setting the stage for Richmond to pursue making Floyd Ave. a bicycling boulevard.
The 8-1 vote Monday night was in support of a project to provide funding for the Floyd Avenue Bicycle Boulevard Project, a resolution patroned by Mayor Jones.
16 people lined up to support the bike lane at Monday’s City Council meeting – photo via Brantley Tyndall
“That paper was to adopt a resolution in support of allowing staff in the city to submit an application requesting funding through the Transportation Alternative Program, which is a federal program that provides bike and pedestrian improvements,” said Jakob Helmboldt, Richmond’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Coordinator.
The deadline for the funding request is Nov. 1, and does not commit Richmond to any project plans but instead allows them to continue to pursue future funding and local support.
Helmboldt, who is the first Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Coordinator for the City of Richmond, received the title in 2011. The position was a suggestion made in the 2010 Mayor’s Pedestrian, Bicycling and Trails Planning Commission which was established to “give advice on ways to incorporate bicycling and walking as viable methods of transportation in the city,” an announcement from the Mayor’s office said about the position.
“The intent is to have a corridor that is more conducive to bicycling and walking,” Helmboldt said. “The idea is that you create a street that keeps traffic volume s low and slow but at the same time allowing more efficient use of bicycling as a corridor.”
There hasn’t been any official design for the project submitted yet, but a resolution voted on previously by city council will allow some money to study the area and get local opinions on it before the issue gets any further.
The 2.25 miles of Floyd Ave. the project entails spans through three council districts and crosses 27 intersections which include 10 traffic signals and seven four-way stop signs. Though there have been concerns about how this would affect traffic and parking for residents, supporters of the project say it is the best option for a bike boulevard.
Floyd runs through Richmond’s Fan and Museum Districts and is a two-way street which makes it more optimal than Cary St. or Main St. Serving as a straight connection from Monroe Park and Thompson Street, Floyd makes it unnecessary to switch roads.
Max Hepp-Buchanan is Director of Bike Walk RVA a regional program by Sports Backers which supports bike and pedestrian friendly policies, programs and infrastructure projects.
“We know of over a hundred emails of support that have gone into city council in support of Floyd Ave., and we’ve met individually with each of the three council members that are in that area,” “And although the vote on Monday was 8-1, it is still clear that there is a lot more work to be done to engage the community. People still don’t know what the project is going to look like, and they won’t know until the study is finished this winter. But people have legitimate concerns and we’re out there trying to help them get a better understanding of what this means.”
Hepp-Buchanan says that Bike Walk RVA has been working closely with Helmboldt and the community to develop the best outcome possible for the project.
“We’re an advocacy group but we’re really helping to educate and engage the community and we want the project to work for the community,” Hepp-Buchanan said.
RideRichmond is another organization involved with the project which focuses “on charitable and educational programs through hosting events, activities, and rides in the Richmond area and surrounding communities.”
The executive director of RideRichmond is Brantley Tyndall, who also serves as the Alternative Transportation Coordinator of Virginia Commonwealth University. Tyndall, along with Hepp-Buchanan and Helmboldt, is an active cyclist who wants to see Richmond continue to increase its recognition as a bike-friendly community. Tyndall says that he think Richmond is doing a great job on becoming a better place for cyclists.
In 2012, Richmond received a bronze medal status from the League of American Bicyclist for being a bike-friendly community. The League assesses every state annually. Richmond was among seven other Va. cities that received awards. Arlington, Alexandria and Charlottesville received silver. Virginia Commonwealth University is ranked as a silver-level Bicycle Friendly University by the League, as well.
“A city can’t become a nationally recognized bicycle-friendly community overnight. This is a step,” Tyndall said. “The whole point of bike infrastructure is to make it streets more accessible to non-cyclists, everyday casual cyclists, fair-weather cyclists, families, to people of all ages and abilities, all backgrounds and to really normalize and increase the accessibility of cycling as a valid transportation option, a valid recreational option and to highlight what Richmond can be.”
Bike Walk RVA and RideRichmond will be co-hosting a mobile open house along with RideRichmond where they are inviting those in the Floyd community to walk, jog or bike down Floyd Ave. with them to discuss the Floyd Avenue Bicycle Boulevard Project and how potential design elements could strengthen Floyd Avenue’s best existing qualities.
“The event will entail a community bike ride, walk, jog, and/or stroll as a group that’s facilitated by us, some of us being cycling instructors, to share some particulars about what the project might look like and then get some feedback from residents and those who use Floyd regularly. Jakob Helmboldt and other city representatives are also invited to participate,” Tyndall said. “We can get some feedback directly from residents to really address issues specifically and to have, ultimately, the most robust community engagement we could have.”
The Floyd Ave “mobile open house” will be on Saturday, Nov. 2, and will start at 10 a.m. at Monroe Park and continue down Floyd Ave. till 11:30 a.m. At noon, there will be a community discussion at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Leslie Cheek Theater. For more information or to RSVP, visit the Bike Walk RVA website.
