Semmes/Forest Hill project starts in August, now retains parking and includes bike lane extension (UPDATED!!!)
The Semmes Avenue/Forest Hill Avenue/Dundee Avenue/W. 34th Street Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project (PDF) is slated to get underway on August 12th and be completed in June 2025.
UPDATE 4:16PM 7/18/24:
After further discussion with city leadership, engineering, and our consultant, the city will implement one travel lane, floating parking, and designated bike lane on the EB side of Semmes Ave between 34th St and Forest Hill Ave; but will observe and track the safety and operational performance after implementation of this project. The city is already working with the design team, and this is not expected to impact the construction sequence or schedule.
There was friction at a meeting Wednesday with business owners in the immediate area when it was announced that the plan now includes removing parking on the 3400 block of Semmes Avenue (in front of Nest Antiques, Laura Lee’s, Fralin Art & Frame, and WPA Bakery). There was immediate and dramatic push back to this change, which goes completely against what has been repeatedly asked for.
“Government is not working for us as residents,” said one of the attendees of the meeting.
Going back to at least 2018, there have been multiple meetings on this project where the business owners and neighbors have asked that the street on this block be converted to one lane with parking and a bike lane.
With the support of Councilmember Stephanie Lynch, the city had previosly promised to pilot converting the stretch of Semmes Avenue directly in front of the businesses to one travel lane with parking and a buffered bike lane after the construction is complete. This was prior to the change to the complete removal of the parking on that block.
TRAFFIC PATTERN
TIMELINE
Work will be scheduled during weekdays from 8AM-5PM. No work will be allowed on Sundays and city-observed holidays or on Saturdays without a special situation.
Core to the plan is putting a stoplight at 34th Street and Semmes Avenue. This will vastly improve the safety of getting through that intersection to/from Patrick Henry School of Science & Arts.
To get enough traffic through that intersection, the somewhat controversial decision has been made to convert the block of Forest Hill behind WPA/Laura Lee’s/etc to east-bound-only to force traffic up 34th to Semmes. On-street parking behind the business will be converted angle parking.
The current traffic light at Dundee/Semmes/Forest Hill will be removed, and a cross-on-demand style light and crosswalk will be placed in front of Crossroads.
Are they just consulting a broken Magic 8 Ball for urban planning these days? This sounds bad.
Does the city just not want there to be small businesses on that block? Because that’s gonna be a real problem
I live right around the corner and, while I agree with a stoplight at 34th (the traffic is deadly 24/7 and does not stop for kids or other pedestrians, nor slow during school hours), this plan is going to make the traffic issues on Semmes even worse!
Not to mention that block of 34th cannot handle the volume of westbound traffic Forest Hill currently accommodates AND the derelict squat house on the corner has actively leaked natural gas for years! One jackass throwing a cig while idling at that light is all it’ll take lol!
It is so predictable Stephanie and council have just rolled on over again and allowed the exact opposite of the popular goal to be done.
I live on Dundee and this sounds like a total nightmare!
While the traffic light at Semmes and 34th may make that intersection safer to cross, it will also increase the number of vehicles moving across and in front of the school by pushing all westbound Forest Hill traffic to cross in front of the school. Short sighted.
@Joe C – Stephanie Lynch and Amy Robins have been solidly behind the business on the block, the issue had been a lack of responsiveness from the engineers and folks in City Hall. I was in the room at the meeting, the initial parking switch was a complete surprise to everyone, and Lynch & Robins immediately got in action to help get this reversed.
@John M. I appreciate you clarifying, and I take that part back.
Cont’d; I’ve been living in the 5th for a long time and I’m a bit worn out on the surprise decisions and crazy traffic experiments. I’d like to see the traffic data the planners are using to defend switching the main travel lanes from Forest Hill to 34th, that’s for sure.
Is Richmond really so afraid of roundabouts that they design something like this?
It’s my understanding that a proper roundabout was proposed a while back, but that it would necessitate taking some land from the school – which nixed the possible funding source
And suddenly there’s a new plan right before August!!! Speeding has not been addressed other than a photo box. This is not a plan but rather a disaster. The folks on Forest Hill in the 3400 block will be stuck, drivers will be pissed, and there are fewer residents on the forest hill block to protest this lame plan.
Businesses should be really mad about this plan.
Stop the bulldozers! Go back to the drawing board!
As the owner of Nest Antiques, I must tell everyone that most of the businesses have given up trying to fight this plan. The city engineers – using OLD data – and just looking at numbers – made this plan several years ago and have continually ignored most of the complaints/suggestions from the businesses and residents of the area. They managed to get a grant to install the light at 34th – and are desperate to enact this ludicrous plan before it expires. Please complain to city council – and more importantly – please try and support local businesses.
@Betty I’m with ya. It seems like adding a stoplight without taking the existing one away would do more to calm traffic than just moving the stoplight and rerouting the traffic through a more residential block. Again, I want to see traffic studies that support the proposal.
@ John M – I’ve heard that a roundabout was proposed and blocked because it would encroach on school property. But when I look at that intersection there seems to be parking lots and a lot of space in the direction of Dundee Ave.
I’m not buying that a roundabout wouldn’t fit in that intersection and be the best solution for traffic flow and pedestrian / bike crossings
I live in the neighborhood and walk to these businesses regularly.
I am certain that folks will try to drive the “wrong way” down forest hill towards Semmes to try and park. The one way road will not function like this in real life and will be a safety hazard for pedestrians and oncoming traffic .
ALSO aren’t the parking spaces angled the wrong direction for the proposed “One Way”?
It takes the City ONE YEAR to install a light and reroute some traffic??? Good Lord, that’s ridiculous
JP, The angled parking spaces are certainly angled the wrong way in my opinion also.
I don’t see how this will reduce the speed east bound on Semmes. If the light at 34th St. is green, people will speed up to make it. There is nothing to slow them down from Roanoke St. to 34th.
Why is there no room for a roundabout according to them? I see plenty of room on maps for a single lane one. That and there shouldn’t be any double lane roads through there. Also make W. 34th Street in that little block northbound only.
@Zach I’m with ya, man. This would solve so many issues with this area without being as disruptive as proposal: speed, weaving, light calibration, etc.
@Tom C. Google “back-in parking” and see how unpopular it is. Lots o municipalities have spent a ton of money putting it in only to remove it. And you’re right: we need a data-backed method to calm traffic, not an expensive experiment.
Email me at joseph.c.cutright@gmail.com or follow the link to sign a petition for reconsideration: https://forms.gle/bi8qHiSgzPKokWq59