Mayor Dwight C. Jones thanked workers and the community following the conclusion of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. The nine-day event is estimated to have exceeded anticipated attendance with approximately 645,000 onsite spectators over the entirety of the event, including the Opening Ceremony. “The Worlds in Richmond were a huge success thanks to the hard work of a great many people, including the city’s Department of Public Works, the Richmond Police Department and surrounding law enforcement and emergency management officials, fire crews, volunteers, the corporate community and the event management personnel,” said Mayor Jones. “My thanks and congratulations go out to everyone that helped Richmond show so well over the course of this event, and particularly to the people of the region whose excitement and enthusiasm has really shown off the best of Richmond.” “We’ve delivered a spectacular World Championships and I’m extremely proud of the way the region pulled together in ...

After two years of public engagement, planning and environmental permitting, the much loved Brown’s Island Dam Walk is on track to reopen to pedestrians. The new T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge will provide an access point to one of the most beautiful sections of the James River and the first bicycle and pedestrian-only crossing of the river. Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. will start construction this fall, and is expected to finish the bridge by August 2016. Once complete, the pedestrian walkway will infuse a new energy into the entire riverfront area. “The work to connect the north bank of the James River to the south has been a long-time coming,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I’m so pleased to have been a part of the push for progress on the Richmond Riverfront Plan.” “This month’s groundbreaking will mark the culmination of nearly a decade of planning and visioning by the City of Richmond and Shockey is excited to get underway on the project,” says Jeff Boehm, Presiden...

The City of Richmond was presented with a 2015 Governor’s Technology Award during the annual Commonwealth of Virginia IT Symposium held in Richmond. The City's Open Data Portal won the award in the category of Innovative Use of Open Data. “This is truly an honor as we are continuing to strive for transparency in government operations,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “The portal signifies the City’s commitment to providing timely, consistent and relevant data for public consumption. By receiving this award, it helps reinforce that we are moving in the right direction in using technology and innovative strategies to increase efficiency.” The City’s Open Data Portal was launched on July 1 as an online publication of government datasets in a computer consumable format. Initial datasets include a Check Registry; GIS maps of fire districts, parks, trails, enterprise zones, public schools by elementary, middle and high schools, building parcels, and more; public safety Information; and ...

On September 9, Mayor Dwight Jones and Max Hepp-Buchanan, Director of Bike Walk RVA, joined in opening the new bike lanes on the Manchester Bridge. Here are some of the details about the Buffered Bike Lane Project as well as the Mayor's remarks from today. Manchester Bridge Buffered Bike Lane details Project Scope – 1.2 miles of buffered bike lanes extending from the bridge ramps at the south end of the bridge to E. Cary Street, with use of green pavement markings at conflict zones. Total cost including design and construction - $150,000  Lee Bridge Buffered Bike Lane details Project Scope – 1.8 miles of buffered and standard bike lanes extending from W. 20th Street and Riverside Drive to S. 2nd Street, connecting with the existing bike lanes.  Use of green pavement markings at conflict zones, including extending the lanes across the three bridge ramps. Construction of the city’s first contraflow bike lane along Oregon Hill Parkway and under the Lee Bridge, allo...

Motorists can expect smoother traffic flow next week in the area of the 5th Street and the 7th Street bridges over Leigh Street.  The rehabilitated 5th Street Bridge will open Monday morning. The 7th Street Bridge re-opened in June.  Both bridges were closed earlier this year when the $3.6 million dollar refurbishment began.  The Leigh Street corridor between 5th and 7th streets, which closed during construction, also re-opens on Monday. In Shockoe Bottom, the two-way traffic conversion of 17th Street between East Broad and Grace streets will open to traffic on Monday. The traffic pattern change is one of several improvements included in the $614,000 project funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program under the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act.  Other areas recently upgraded and now open to traffic include:  • 17th Street, two-way traffic from Broad Street to Franklin St...

~ Team to support UCI Road World Cycling Championships sustainability effort ~ The Southern Regional Office of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) selected the City of Richmond and HandsOn Greater Richmond, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Groundwork RVA, and Virginia Green Travel Alliance to receive an AmeriCorps NCCC Team this Fall. The Southern Regional Office received 50 applications and awarded only 20 teams. NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential national service program for young adults who want to give back to communities in need at different locations across the country. There are currently more than 50,000 members serving in AmeriCorps NCCC. “Being selected as a recipient of an AmeriCorps NCCC team recognizes the importance the City places on volunteerism as a way to engage young people in the work of City government and improving the community,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. The Richmond NCCC team will have five to nine members and work in Richmond from...

In a national survey of small businesses conducted by the website Thumbtack, the Richmond region ranked third in Business-friendly Cities. The survey included rankings in 11 different categories including; overall friendliness; ease of starting a business; ease of hiring; regulations; health and safety; employment, labor and hiring; tax code; licensing; environmental; zoning; and training and networking programs. The region received A+ ratings in nine of the 11 categories. “A business-friendly climate is at the heart of our region’s efforts to attract and retain companies, said Lee Downey, City’s Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Planning and Economic Development. “Surveys such as this, that ask companies their opinions directly, validate that our efforts are on-track.” Richmond has been included in the survey since 2013 and the category ratings have improved greatly over the past two years. The first and second ranked cities are Manchester, N.H. and Dallas, TX resp...