Icetera
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Posts posted by Icetera
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23 hours ago, I miss RVA said:
You raise a very interesting point. Vis a vis what's in place right now, how would you envision strengthening the dedicated BRT lanes? Where are the design flaws in what PULSE is currently using and how could at least the north-south alignment -- which has not been built yet -- be designed with better, more properly functional dedicated lanes? I'm asking earnestly and not asking to challenge you - because this point seems quite reasonable. Is this something GRTC could better implement when designing and building out the north-south route - and is it something that could be (relatively) inexpensively "corrected" in the east-west route?
The Pulse barely has dedicated lanes as they are only on the median-running stretch from Arts District to I-195, where they then join mixed traffic and curb-side stations. Through downtown until 14th St, the Pulse mostly runs down a bus-only lane, but it has to constantly change lanes to get around other buses (especially VCU's). In front to the Convention Center, for whatever reason, there is a one block loss of bus lanes where the Pulse has to mix into regular traffic to go around parked vehicles. After/before Convention Center and I-195 bridge, the Pulse has to leap across all travel lanes to get to the opposite side. For the stretch of 14th St. and Main St., the Pulse is completely mixed traffic sharing the 2-4 lanes (depending on hours on Main). West of I-195 the Pulse is completely mixed traffic along 6-lanes. It should have kept a consistent median-running dedicated lane setup along the entirety of Broad Street and 14th, then ran curbside along Main St, once again, with dedicated lanes.
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1 hour ago, Shakman said:
Didn't know Robin Inn was gone. In 2000 I had the best pasta and meat sauce dish ever, which still holds today. The next time I'm in Richmond, I'll try this new hoagie establishment.
Towards the end they seemed to be using the cheapest noodles possible and what tasted like Ragu so its close came to no surprise for me. A shame because it is a cool spot but glad to see some grinders in its place.
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1 hour ago, 123fakestreet said:
There's no way. Even if funding wasn't an issue, the ridership just isn't there for a BRT route. I do think each end of the BRT should have a "BRT Extension Shuttle" - Rockett's to the airport, Willow Lawn to Short Pump, Northside to Ashland. Not formally part of the BRT, doesn't run as regularly, etc. But full service BRT all the way while cool if it happened would really be kind of ridiculous for what BRT is supposed to be.
We could run a hybrid of that having BRT still run to the end points but have higher frequency uses running the core route and turning short while lower frequency continues on. End-point users would simply transfer at the cutoff points if their current bus does not continue on. This would allow easy updating of frequency as demand increases.
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4 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:
Same. The real beauty of RVA comes from its parks. We could have easily sold off prime real estate that overlooks the river and had million dollar homes surround us anytime we used the river. Instead, we conserved and today they are world class trails for everyone to access and love. I use them 3-5x a week for 2-3 hours at a time biking and hiking. JRPS is the reason I stay in RVA. I'm glad they are not allowing Rockets Landing to get over developed with mini shortpump 2.0 by holding this land and making good public use of it. What great long term vision.
As someone who walks by this daily, I still wish we at least got some development along the streetscape as this is a long stretch of grassy and gravel lots, with little likely-hood of changing. We need riverside parks but we also need proper connectivity from East End to the city, allowing for pedestrian activity not just during the daylight. I also wish we allowed some more variation of river amenities (dining, etc.) that cater to those not as interested in fitness and rugged nature (I swim across the river often so clearly not me, lol).
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17 hours ago, I miss RVA said:
How was it between PHX and RIC? You said it was full, yes? Curious if any additional passengers maybe got on at RIC heading north.
Considering how packed the concourse was, I imagine quite a few were flying out to Hartford, but I did not pay attention to the seating around the gate.
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14 minutes ago, Brent114 said:
I don’t think 8th and 9th is a dead zone compared to 14th.
From spring through autumn the 8th Street area is probably the most active in all of downtown. Friday Cheers, River Rock, Folk Festival, Pride, every fund raiser run/walk event, Browns Island visits just because, Friday Sunsets (is that what it’s called? Generally R&B shows at Kanawha Plaza), Kabana rooftop events, the downtown holiday illumination…there are also 4 hotels within 2 blocks in both directions…and of course a thousand or so apartments about to hit the market. Shockoe Slip is closer to 8th Street than the Pulse stop at Main Street station too (so two more hotels to boot).Certainly valid points. Running 14th St would need a stop placed near Main to connect MSS, so that would cover the Slip. The current Pulse fills up at MCV/Government Center so either it needs overlap coverage or we end up adding more stock that goes under-utilized on the rest of the route. I think there is little doubt that a line will run over the Lee Bridge, connecting Belle/Brown Isle and the new amphitheater. Original plans also included a future East-West run via Carytown, though I would rather see that directed North up AA Blvd. to the Diamond District and Lakeside rather than continue through to Thompson St.
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17 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:
Coolness!! Great info! Thanks so much, George. Please keep us posted during the course of his travels how the flights are working out, how full, how many are Breeze-thru's, etc. -- it's really good to have eyes and ears on the ground providing this level of granular information.
My last Friday flight back from PHX would have been a Breeze-thru to Hartford. Very few were left sitting on the plane, perhaps a dozen at most. I have no idea how many were continuing from Hartford to PHX on the Monday flight but now I am curious.
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19 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:
Isn't this the site where Echo Harbor was originally proposed? Or was that a little farther south & east?
This is maybe 1/3 of that property adjacent to Ship lock Park.
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19 hours ago, Brent114 said:
IMO the Pulse should never go down Hull. That would defeat the whole “rapid” part. There’s not enough room for dedicated lanes and there’s no reason to run a second bus through Shockoe Slip.
The Manchester Bridge is big enough now to accommodate dedicated bus lanes and that route would run a bus through the business center, which already has more housing and is about to get even more housing (riders) than 14th has or will ever have. It is also a direct rout to the new bus transfer station (which while temporary will be in use for 20-30 years if not longer.).
As for the Mayo bridge, 35 is obnoxious (and drivers are typically going 40-4mph through there). The South end has a significant curve and Mayo island has busy parking lots on either side (so cars are stopping and turning). Perhaps when this becomes park land those lots will see even more traffic which will naturally slow travel speeds.. The new bridge will make speed moot of course Currently it isn’t safe to have cars going that fast alongside pedestrians who have no where to go if things go wrong (do I die when I hit the river or get crushed by a car?). The sidewalks are too narrow and cars are going too fast, around the curve in particular. With safer sidewalks, I won’t care about speed. Right now Shockoe feels inaccessible to Manchester pedestrians because crossing the bridge on foot is so unsavory (dangerous).
The highest volume section of the Pulse is from MSS (especially MCV/Government) to VCU so an overlapping route will be needed. This means the Mayo Bridge. Hull Street is comparable to Main Street through Shockoe Bottom and the Pulse runs fine enough through there so it can be done. A route running up 8th/9th will be great one day, but currently it is a deadzone outside of a few hours during the week so not much of a of a priority when everything is only a few blocks from the current line.
I walk the Mayo Bridge fairly regularly, and while it is the least favorite part of my walk due to the long empty stretch and unmaintained narrow pedestrian infrastructure, I do not find it especially terrifying (though I have had your same thought about jumping in the river trying to get around the fisherman). On bicycle, that is a different story and I will often bike further down to the T. Potterfield Bridge instead.
While I am looking forward to the improved bridge, especially for biking, the closure for construction is going to greatly cut my trips to Manchester as I much prefer walking and not worrying about bike storage. If I have to drive, then I am most likely going to hop onto the Expressway to Carytown rather than reroute over the Manchester Bridge. I imagine that is going to be worse for Manchester residents seeking groceries.-
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2 hours ago, Brent114 said:
I noticed today that the speed limit on the Mayo Bridge is 35MPH. That’s unacceptable. It’s 25MPH on either side so why encourage people to speed up for this 1/4 mile?
Something needs to happen to make both sides of Hull feel connected though. I’m all for speed bumps (in the from of raised crosswalks at every intersection) or bump outs at the corners to slow traffic.
Raised crosswalks would be great. I would love to see bump-outs as well but I see that as a potential barrier to what will likely be a future Pulse corridor. Since the peak hour lanes are usually blocked by the few stretches where parking is available, perhaps installing temporary bump-outs could work for now.
I believe the speed limit on the Mayo Bridge makes sense as it is a long stretch with nearly no intersections. Artificially lowering the official speed limit would do nothing to slow traffic as drivers will naturally drive what feels safe. -
1 hour ago, ancientcarpenter said:
Overall, good news. Dominion's property adjacent to recently developed bus depot apartments is up for sale and some of it will be demo'd.
Unfortunate news. As a resident of this area, I really would love some density and height here, including a first floor grocer like Aldi or Lidl.
With so many grocery stores just West of there, I would never imagine Lidl trying to squeeze in, especially in a primarily single family neighborhood while new dense neighborhoods lack for any grocer. Aldi could theoretically fit into the renovated buildings but once again they are just up the street off Boulevard. The remaining buildings perfectly complement the rest of Cary Street Station, so I think the best hope for further significant density here is something around 6 floors filling the Expressway facing lot. Considering the iconic view across Columbus Lake, that may even be a fight with NIMBYS.
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17 hours ago, eandslee said:
How full were your flights? This is the all-important question since load factors determine if frequency should increase or not. By my unscientific count, flights to and from PHX have been packed full with very few exceptions.
Both flights appeared to be full.
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On 4/22/2023 at 12:39 PM, wrldcoupe4 said:
Would rather see no vehicular traffic. Bike, pedestrian and transit only. And maybe for parking on Mayo for recreation activities eventually since Mayo Island is becoming a park anyways. Trying to cross hull is pretty terrifying. People are flying through there. Manchester Bridge has tons of capacity.
This is usually the one thing that I disagree with Bruce on. The Mayo Bridge is crucial for Manchester to East-End traffic whereas utilizing I-95 or the Manchester bridge essentially doubles the travel time or piles more traffic into the Shockoe Bottom grid. Personally, if I am traveling up I-95 from Southside I will often exit on Maury, to reach Dock St via E. 2nd. Traffic absolutely needs to be slowed on Hull Street, whether with lights or 4-way stops, but eliminating vehicular traffic and creating a geographical cul-de-sac creates a huge barrier between Manchester and East-End business activity.
Also of note, removing vehicle access would require a significant and awkward re-routing of US 360.
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I have to say that this week's experience with Breeze RIC>PHX was great. It was also amazing to see the concourse packed upon returning home at 8pm Friday. The concourse restaurants were absolutely filled and show that there is opportunity for more options. Of note, the outside security Applebee's was closed so perhaps once security is combined and it becomes part of the concourses then it will have later hours.
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On 4/21/2023 at 11:16 AM, Brent114 said:
Once again, I like the look of these. A lot.
There are some chalet style apartments near the Libbie and Patterson intersection (across from the old Pizza Hut ) from the 70’s or 80’s. They are stained wood and white stucco and still look great, swanky in a Scorpio medallion nestled in a bush of chest hair kind of way. I love those vibes lol
I was just commenting how much I love that project while on a ride the other week. We really need more like it.
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4 hours ago, eandslee said:
Richmond UP Meet-up Friends. I'm looking at rescheduling our meet-up on a new day coming up pretty soon (as requested by a few of you so that we can beat the heat of summer). I want to float around the date of Saturday, 6 May as the new meet-up day. The time, location (starting at Willow Lawn), and itinerary would probably remain the same as we had planned for 22 April. Let me know if any of you see any potential conflicts with Saturday, 6 May. Pending your responses, we will either firm up this date or shoot for another date sometime soon.
Bottom line: New proposed date is Saturday, 6 May. Any potential issues or objections? Also, let me know if you are available and willing to come.
I believe I can work that.
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40 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:
Here's RBS' coverage of the groundbreaking - a truly momentous day for metropolitan Richmond!
As was pointed out in Mike's reporting yesterday on interest rates slowing down residential (and other) construction, one of the developers pointed out how RVA has made quite a few inroads onto the radar screens of big, national interests who definitely view Richmond as one of the next hot "go-to" cities/metros & have begun pouring significant investment dollars into the city, the metro and the region. The shorthand version of that is this: Richmond is becoming a "known" entity. We are gaining name recognition. Landing LEGO's only U.S. manufacturing facility (the second in North America - Mexico has the other) and only the seventh globally) is as HUGE a WIN for metro RVA as we have had in DECADES, particularly when you consider we beat out our chief competitor markets to land this plant. If anything will further push Richmond's name-recognition needle forward, this certainly will. The import of this facility becoming a reality and what it will mean for metro Richmond going forward cannot be overstated.
From today's Richmond BizSense:
I was surprised to see the little LEGO brick visitor center clearly visible from the Enon Bridge so this facility may really stand out once complete.
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Per our Community Meeting, HHHunt will be adding an additional 21 townhomes to the very far (Henrico) end of Rocketts Landing soon.
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I almost lost it when I saw this image looking as if Petersburg would get an urban format Target, but it appears to be just an example rendering. Still, these developments bode well for seeing Petersburg work toward its great potential.
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/petersburg-plans-april-12-2023
Downtown
Sycamore Grove
Sycamore Grove
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54 minutes ago, Hike said:
Remind me of the location for the new park? Reason I ask, is there demolition of structures involved?
From what I recall, the location for Phase 1 is basically all of the cleared green space here (Ballpark left), then Phase 2 replaces the old stadiums:
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It is not quite a tower built out of LEGOs but at least there is now a single giant brick in Chesterfield:
QuoteCHESTER — Have you driven past The LEGO Group Project in Meadowville Technology Park lately? You can't miss the newly-installed, temporary Visitor Center. Visible from Rivers Bend Blvd., it is bright yellow and shaped like a LEGO brick.
If you drive your children by it, I bet they'll get a kick out of seeing it as well as the recently installed billboards which feature cute LEGO Mini Figures.
LEGO derives its name from the Danish phrase "leg godt" which means "play well." Children and adults worldwide have been entertained by LEGO for over 70 years.
Did you realize the correct plural of LEGO is just LEGO? The LEGO Group suggests LEGO bricks or LEGO sets. I grew up saying LEGOs, and it's been a challenge to drop the "s."
The LEGO Group has a temporary location through 2024 at 1600 Ruffin Mill Rd. in Colonial Heights, and its permanent address is 1400 Meadowville Rd. in Chester, just a hop, skip and jump down the road from me.
The Visitor Center installed on Friday, March 31 is on the site of The LEGO Group's $1 billion project in Chesterfield County. The first U.S. LEGO manufacturing plant will include a 1.7 million-square-foot precision production facility.
Over the next few years, 1,761 people will be hired for a range of professional and production positions.
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12 hours ago, whw53 said:
Once these neighborhoods are knit together maybe we can knit together all these gdam threads...yesssss yes i know it was me.. shhh...
Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk
To make it worse, I moved this piece over to the proper thread
I would really love to combine SA, Diamond/Hermitage/Ownby, and Newtowne/Carver in the future.
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Tentatively looking at flights and surprised to see RIC listed as the lowest fare out of a collection of airports from here to Philly (and hell no do I intend to spend that!). I will be trying out Breeze for the first time to PHX this month. The two flights a week is obnoxious but certainly the best deal.
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1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:
the Cobb lumber development
I was rather surprised to see that workers were still operating in Cobb Lumber yesterday, though their stock looks rather empty.
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I would really love to combine SA, Diamond/Hermitage/Ownby, and Newtowne/Carver in the future.
Richmond Region Transportation
in Richmond
Posted
While the drop in frequency has discouraged me some, I do appreciate it and enjoy that my cars move perhaps once per week now (granted I walk most everywhere). Its inception has certainly increased my business along the Broad Street corridor as I cut back on places out of reach, such as Carytown. I look forward to the North-South line opening up new areas, assuming the transfer point and timing are reasonable.
I would hope with the Short Pump extension and new Malvern station, that they would look into realigning to median running (only Staples Mill needs redone as Willow Lawn may need entirely new stations regardless) or at least more dedicated lanes (perhaps out to WL until ridership and frequency increases farther out). Unfortunately I am not optimistic on this.