RICHMOND, Va. -- Construction began on the city's first bike boulevard. The Floyd Avenue Bike Boulevard runs a two-mile stretch from North Thompson Street in the Museum District down through the Fan and stops at Laurel Street.
The roadway will feature designated bike lanes, landscaped traffic circles and crosswalks.
Final plans for the project followed extensive community meetings and input. The enhancements are intended to improve vehicular and pedestrian interaction through slower operating speeds for motorists and shorter crossing distances for pedestrians.
The City’s Bike Master Plan, released in May 2015, 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.
“Forward movement with this Bike Boulevard project helps tremendously with our effort to develop a city-wide network of bike infrastructure,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “Through this project, we are further diversifying mobility in the city and enhancing both transportation options and recreation. It’s very exciting to see us reach the point of starting construction.”
The $900,000 capital improvement project will be most paid for by federal grants.
