Are we building a wall on Broad Street?

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is heading in our direction and if we don’t pay close attention, the forthcoming project could make Broad Street even more challenging for people walking and biking downtown and around VCU.

Broad Street is experiencing a renaissance of good restaurants, art galleries, and housing – something Richmonders have been working towards for years. If we do it right, the BRT project will expedite this transformation while making Richmond friendlier for walking and biking.

But if we do it wrong, Broad Street could easily become a dividing line that is difficult and dangerous for people to cross.

Please join us at one of these public meetings hosted by the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) and make your voice heard:

• Monday, April 6, 6 to 8 PM – University of Richmond Downtown
• Tuesday, April 7, 6 to 8 PM – Department of Motor Vehicles

These informal open houses are critical opportunities to express four basic points to the BRT project team:

1. People have a right and a need to safely cross Broad Street. There is no reason to think anyone will go multiple blocks out of their way to simply cross the street. Therefore, they need to be accommodated at every intersection.
2. People need a comfortable place to seek refuge when crossing a wide, busy street. People have difficulty crossing Broad Street now – especially people with disabilities or those who are traveling with children and can’t walk fast enough to cross before the light changes. A 6-foot wide center median would act as a refuge island for people of all ages and abilities who need to walk or bike across the street.
3. Broad Street is finally becoming a comfortable, vibrant, downtown main street, so let’s continue to plan for this reawakening. With more housing and attractions popping up along Broad Street, there will only be more people who want to walk, bike, and take transit to get where they need to go in the years to come. We need to design a street that works for them on all sides.
4. Having a great environment for people who need to walk and bike makes BRT stronger. All BRT riders are pedestrians or bicyclists before/after they board the bus, so we need to take care of them at every stage of their trip. The safety and comfort of people should be priority number one.

We’ll keep you posted on our response to the design presented on April 6 and 7. In the meantime please join us and make your voice heard. Thank you for helping to make Broad Street a better place for people.