RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Construction has begun on Richmond’s first “Bike Boulevard.”
The Bike Boulevard is being installed along a 2-mile stretch of Floyd Avenue from North Thompson Street to North Laurel Street.
An estimated investment of $900,000 was put into the project. The majority of the funding came from federal funding sources, according to city officials.
The targeted section of Floyd Avenue will be made into a safe bicycle route with low traffic speeds and volumes, along with improvements for pedestrians.
The project includes the following safety measures:
- Landscaped residential traffic circles and bump outs
- Raised crosswalks
- Pedestrian crosswalk markings and signs
- Wheelchair accessible ramps
- Green sharrow markings
Extensive community input went into the bike boulevard project before the final plans were made. City officials say the enhancements “will improve vehicular and pedestrian interaction through slower operating speeds for motorists and shorter crossing distances for pedestrians.”
No streets in the area are being completely closed to minimize the impact on businesses and residents during construction. There will be single lane closures on occasion. Drivers are encouraged to take note of signage in work zones.
The City’s Bike Master Plan, released in May of this year, has identified several other corridors which would benefit from bike boulevards — such as North 29th Street in Church Hill and Allen Street in the Fan and Randolph communities. Funds are being sought to pursue these projects in the future.
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