Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement today after receiving the Child Welfare League’s report on the Child Welfare Division of the City’s Department of Social Services, which the City had requested: “Earlier this year, I ordered the Department of Social Services to address each of the concerns raised in earlier reviews of the agency. This latest report acknowledges that we are dealing forthrightly with these problems and are taking corrective actions to fix them. Make no mistake: While we have a lot of work ahead, children’s safety will not be compromised. We are investing the resources needed to turn this agency around. Like every parent, I strongly believe this is the right thing to do. “The report notes that the hearts of city child welfare workers are in the right place, and they are working hard to do the right thing, despite the serious problems that have come to light. Their jobs are important and tough, and I know that they are working hard to protect v...

Construction begins Monday, August 19 on an adaptive traffic control system designed to make traffic flow more smoothly by decreasing the amount of time motorists spend at red lights. The new technology, called InSync, will be implemented at 24 signalized intersections along Chamberlayne Avenue, Brook Road, Hermitage Road and Laburnum Avenue.   InSync will change the traffic signals based on real-time vehicle demand. The technology will count the number of vehicles on both the main streets and side streets at the intersections. Then, through the use of wireless broadband radio communications, the traffic signals will “talk” with each other and relay real-time information needed to control the movement of the vehicles along the signalized corridor.  A computer processor at each intersection uses the information to develop signal timings that allow main street traffic to catch multiple green signals without stopping along the corridor and, at the same time, limit and reduce ...

~Online Survey Has Been Created to Identify Needs of the Public~ The City of Richmond announced today its continued plans to improve roadways and corridors that will help make bicycling a safe and convenient transportation option. The Bicycle Master Plan will develop specific recommendations for bike infrastructure improvements based on the preliminary plans from the City’s Strategic Multimodal Transportation Plan, called Richmond Connects. Richmond Connects has identified many roadways and corridors for bikeway improvements, and includes an assessment of existing and future conditions and needs. An online survey has been created to allow the public to assist the City in developing and prioritizing infrastructure improvements that will result in a network of bikeways that can be used for recreation or transportation. Click here to access the online survey. The survey will be open through the end of September. “We have the goal of making Richmond one of the most bicycle-frien...

The City of Richmond has launched an innovative model designed to promote employee health and wellness while at the same time providing some much needed support to Richmond Animal Care and Control (RAC&C). The program, called Walk-A-Hound, Lose-A-Pound, is part of the City of Richmond and Richmond Public Schools Employee Wellness Program and provides a mechanism for city employees to help shelter dogs get regular physical activity. “An active lifestyle is vitally important to the overall health of our city,” says Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I welcome this new walking program to encourage our employees and residents to become more active, and be able to enjoy the outdoors with a great walking companion from Animal Care and Control.” The dogs that are walked are all up to date on shots and have been behavior tested. While the program is directed toward city employees, friend and family can join them for their scheduled walks. City employees can volunteer to walk the dogs for an...

Click and Park now available to schedule parking for Fan Appreciation Day The City of Richmond today issued an updated parking lot schedule for the remainder of the Washington Redskins Summer Training Camp season. A variety of parking options have been offered to Redskins fans for a flat fee of $5 for lots within walking distance, or $7 if a roundtrip shuttle is included. “We are pleased that patrons visiting the city have found ample parking opportunities, as it was our intent to ensure there would be adequate parking available for NFL Fans visiting Richmond,” said Lynne Lancaster from the city’s Department of Public Works. “A review of our operations since the beginning of Training Camp has led to a revision in our plans for parking lot use and shuttle services. We are able to scale back on some lots and to redirect resources to those lots that we believe will gain the most usage.” The revised plan eliminates parking and shuttle service at City Stadium for the upcoming ...

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones will preside at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the first of its new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueled buses. The ceremony will be held at 11:15 am, Thursday, August 1, 2013, at the GRTC Transit System Maintenance Facility located at 301 East Belt Boulevard. Among honored guests will be a representative of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the Mayor will board the first GRTC bus fueled by CNG for its maiden trip, on a route which will deliver him to City Hall. In 2011, the Mayor’s Office met with GRTC officials about the benefits of transitioning the bus fleet to CNG fueled vehicles as retired buses are replaced. The benefits included significantly reduced fuel costs, improved air quality, and reduced noise pollution. GRTC initiated the procedure to replace vehicles, as they are retired from the fleet, with new CNG fueled vehicles for both its paratransit and fixed rou...

~Names initiative after Maggie L. Walker~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced today that the Mayor’s Anti-Poverty Commission will be called the Maggie L. Walker Initiative for Expanding Opportunity and Fighting Poverty . The Mayor named the initiative today at a press conference mapping out the way the work of the Commission will be organized going forward. “The Maggie L. Walker Initiative will honor the social and entrepreneurial legacy of this homegrown hero,” said Mayor Jones. “Our work, in honor of one of Richmond’s great historical figures, is being done in hopes of reviving Maggie Walker’s legacy of person-centered community economic development and empowerment.” Mayor Jones spoke about the implementation plan to move the work of the Anti-Poverty Commission forward. Task forces consisting of key administrators in each policy area, issue experts, and nonprofit and business stakeholders will develop specific implementation proposals to specify what is to be done, who is t...