Richmond planning commission delays decision on temporary bus boarding platform at Browers Lane and Mechanicsville Turnpike

The City of Richmond Planning Commission on Jan. 21 continued consideration of UDC 2024-45, a location, character and extent review for a temporary modular bus boarding platform proposed for the southeast corner of Browers Lane and Mechanicsville Turnpike. Commissioner Marcia Robertson moved to continue the item and the commission approved the continuation by roll call vote.

Staff from the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility (OETM) presented the proposal as a test installation intended to improve boarding safety and bus reliability. Kelly Rowan, an OETM project lead, said the platform would be a modular, recycled-plastic structure placed in the existing no-parking zone used for boarding. The design includes a detectable warning surface and two ramp options to address ADA accessibility where existing grades do not meet standards.

Rowan said the platform is part of a broader "lighter, quicker, cheaper" traffic-calming package that narrows travel lanes, adds curb extensions and incorporates community artwork. She told commissioners the product is designed for roughly a three-year service life but is removable and that comparable installations in other U.S. cities and abroad have remained in place for many years. Rowan said OETM and Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) have collected pre-installation speed data and near-miss observations and plan a follow-up data collection about one year after installation to assess safety and operations.

Several commissioners pressed for more targeted safety information, earlier reporting and an explicit commitment that additional platforms would not be installed elsewhere in the city until this test case is reviewed. Commissioner Robertson said she was not comfortable approving the platform without additional details and moved to continue the item to the commission's next meeting. Commissioners cited concerns about traffic backups, bicyclist conflicts and inconsistent application of traffic-calming measures from block to block.

Rowan responded that the city's traffic engineer has reviewed and signed off on the broader traffic-calming concept, that the contractor and permits are in place for other elements of the corner improvements, and that OETM would coordinate with the traffic engineer and GRTC. She agreed to relay the commission's request that no further installations of the platform type be approved without returning to the commission with safety data and additional details. Rowan offered to accelerate interim data collection and provide preliminary results sooner if feasible.

Before voting to continue, commissioners asked staff to return with: (1) a clearer breakdown of the proposed platform and the adjacent planter that will provide physical separation; (2) the city traffic engineer's assessment of operational impacts; (3) any near-term enforcement or monitoring plans, including whether Richmond Police Department patrols or cameras will be used; and (4) relevant safety studies or guidance, including materials cited from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).

Action: The commission voted to continue UDC 2024-45 to the Feb. 4, 2025 meeting. Roll-call votes recorded in the transcript: Poole — Aye; Greenfield — Aye; Joy Hogg — Aye; Knight — Aye; Robertson — Aye; Roe — Aye; White — Aye; Young — Aye. The motion carried.

The applicant indicated a target installation window in mid-February for the traffic-calming materials, with the bus platform slated to be installed as part of that package if approved. Commissioners and staff agreed the platform will be treated as a test and that OETM will return with additional safety data and documentation before further installations of the same platform type are approved.