GPRA Position on GRTC Plans

The following describes the current positions of the GPRA Planning and Zoning Committee:

The North-South Pulse Bus Rapid Transit Line has a Chamberlayne Avenue segment which will impact the residential neighborhoods surrounding Chamberlayne Avenue between Azalea Avenue south to Overbrook, including Washington Park, Ginter Park, Ginter Park Terrace, Brookland Park, and North Barton Heights. South of Overbrook, Chamberlayne Avenue transitions to six (6) lanes and commercial zoning.
 
The Ginter Park Residents Association has been engaged as a consulting partner, which is a federal requirement for funding. The GPRA Planning and Zoning Committee and Board studied the available information regarding the design of the Chamberlayne segment, and responded with the following letter to GRTC in June 2025:

We followed up with a virtual meeting with GRTC and partner, Kimley-Horn, on October 7, 2025, where we discussed at length their rationale for the 6-lane commercial corridor design that is similar to the Broad Street East-West Pulse line design and our objections to that model. 

We support equity in transit, and we support a North-South Pulse expansion with a Chamberlayne segment. We do not support a 6-lane commercial corridor design. Here is a concise list of our concerns.
  • Cost Effectiveness: The projected cost of the 6-lane design is $280-300 million; a 4-lane design projected cost is $240-260 million.
  • Safety: There is empirical evidence that indicates that 6-lane design increases crash risks and risks of pedestrian fatalities (Federal Highway Administration Road Diet Informational Guide). There were multiple pedestrian fatalities on Chamberlayne 202-2025.
  • Vision Zero Conflicts: Richmond’s Vision Zero Action Plan prioritizes reducing high injury corridors, and Chamberlayne Avenue ranks high for crashes and pedestrian injuries. The 6-lane design increases the crossing distance and is likely to increase driving speeds, contradicting the Vision Zero plan. 
  • Efficiency and BRT Performance: Bus Rapid Transit relies on reliability and engineering tools to support efficiency (such as queue jumps and transit signal priority) The FHWA classifies 4-lane designs as sufficient in efficiency and performance for traffic volumes up to 35,000 vehicles per day. Chamberlayne’s volume ranges from a low of 14,000 to 22,000 vehicles per day and that volume does not justify 6 lanes for every segment of Chamberlayne. 
  • Neighborhood Severance: Bisecting Chamberlayne Avenue from Azalea Avenue to Overbrook will bisect Ginter Park,,which will impede walkability to schools, parks, churches, recreation centers and small business nodes. Federal Highway Administration standards and funding scoring on lines within neighborhoods discourages bisecting neighborhoods and supports context -sensitive design. 
  • Urban Form and Reinvestment: The Richmond 300 and the direction of the city zoning code rewrite both call for Chamberlayne to become a mixed-use corridor, and the 6-lane design contradicts these plans intent to create a “complete street” (VDOT Policy) design that supports housing growth, reinvestment, green space, trees and walkability. Six (6) lanes lock the corridor into a suburban pattern that will discourage both residential and small business investments in development and redevelopment. 
  • Environmental Justice: RVA Green 2050 and FHWA policies promote the reduction of emissions, and 6-lane design increases emissions.

Finally, research indicates that there are precedents in Virginia and in the U.S. for 4-lane arterial residential BRTs that have been in place for some time that are successful in efficiency, reliability, in terms of safety goals and increasing ridership. All secured federal funding as part of their funding mix.

​Please refer to our presentations: CHANGING CHAMBERLAYNE, PART I AND PART II.​