By Jake Burns
VCU Police

The spring 2025 survey revealed that nearly half – 45% – of respondents cited pedestrian safety above all other issues. And VCU leaders have been taking action.

In 2023, President Michael Rao, Ph.D., commissioned an independent study to identify and prioritize improvements, and progress continues to advance and modernize safety for pedestrians and cyclists near campus. As the fall semester kicks off, here’s a fresh top 10 of insights into a top issue for the VCU community.

1) It’s location, location, location

“VCU has unique dynamics and challenges like no other part of the city,” said John Venuti, associate vice president for emergency services and public safety at VCU and VCU Health. “VCU has been committed to enhancing pedestrian safety for a very long time.”

Maya Rogers knows something about that. Of the many hats she has worn at VCU – student, financial specialist, current Staff Senate president – she has had a constant role: attentive traveler on the Monroe Park Campus. She did not own a vehicle her first five years at VCU, and she has a wise perspective about pedestrians, cyclists and all travelers through the urban university setting.

“This part of campus in the city is unique to the rest of the city. You won’t see, even downtown, as many people walking around or riding their bike as you do here,” Rogers said. “All of us need to have a better empathy and awareness that we are not the only ones in this space – and to look out for each other.”

Venuti cites a multipronged approach. “Continued focus, enforcement, education and awareness have been the ongoing strategy to keep the VCU community safe,” he said.

2) The partnership helping drive change

VCU and the city of Richmond work together to improve pedestrian infrastructure along the city-owned right-of-way through the university’s Monroe Park and MCV campuses. VCU and city officials regularly meet to brainstorm and develop safety projects, from both a planning and financial perspective.

Jeff Eastman, university planner in the Planning and Design division of Facilities Management, said the relationship between VCU and Richmond on this issue remains strong, two years after beginning their regular meetings.

“It’s really important to both of us,” Eastman said.

3) We’re off to a strong and speedy start

Several recommendations made by Kimley-Horn, the engineering, planning and design consultant that conducted the 2023 traffic study, have already made a tangible impact on driver behavior near VCU.

The installation of 15 speed tables across both campuses, 14 “No Turn on Red” signs near the Monroe Park Campus, pedestrian interval adjustments at intersections and three new “front doors“ have slowed vehicular speeds, and they signal to drivers that they are approaching an area with high levels of pedestrian density.

Many of the projects completed so far could be done quickly and less expensively, Eastman said, while the next phase of improvements require a higher level of planning and financial commitment.

4) Extending pedestrian space on the roadway

Have you noticed orange cones and heavy machinery along Cary and Main streets near VCU as the semester begins? Richmond’s Department of Public Works is installing curb extensions along both major thoroughfares from Arthur Ashe Boulevard to Belvidere Street.

Curb extensions make pedestrian crossings more visible to drivers, provide more space for pedestrians to gather while waiting to cross and offer pedestrians more protection from traffic. VCU is planning and funding the installation of six new curb extensions in the coming months at the following locations:

• Cary Street and Harrison Street
• Cary Street and Belvidere Street
• Main Street and Laurel Street
• Main Street and Harrison Street
• Harrison Street and Grace Street
• Harrison Street and Broad Street

Several of these intersections are routinely identified as problem spots for pedestrian-vehicle incidents, according to VCU Police.

“Previously, pedestrians stood back behind parked cars, limiting visibility of oncoming traffic. The curb extensions shorten the crossing distance, provide extra waiting space and remove parked cars that block sight lines,” Eastman said. “Drivers see people standing right at the curb, and tightening the width of lanes naturally slows vehicles. Together, there’s a lot going on that’s really positive to help pedestrians cross.”

VCU is planning 10 future curb extension projects in the coming years on both the academic and medical campuses.

5) Curbing turns = pedestrian safety

VCU is in the final stages of four “turn hardening” projects as well. When a vehicle makes a turn into a tight space, there is an increased risk for nearby pedestrians, particularly if the driver is distracted or in a hurry.Turn hardening involves the installation of curblike materials or bollards along a centerline of the roadway, which forces a driver to slow down and turn at nearly a 90-degree angle. Reducing corner-cutting, slowing vehicle speed and increasing visibility yielded a 70% reduction in pedestrian incidents, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

VCU will soon install turn-hardening infrastructure at four locations:

• Franklin and Laurel streets (Monroe Park Campus)
• Belvidere and Franklin streets (Monroe Park Campus)
• Marshall and 11th streets (MCV Campus)
• Marshall and 13th streets (MCV Campus)

6) Follow the signs

A key component of planning pedestrian projects is listening to community voices. After a meeting hosted by the Staff Senate in the spring, where concerns were raised by students and staff near Snead Hall and the Engineering Research Building, university leaders are installing new pedestrian crossing signs at the intersections of Cary and Madison streets as well as Main and Monroe streets.

While Eastman said similar signs have been hit by drivers in other parts of the city, VCU plans to maintain these locations to serve as visual reminders for drivers that there is a high likelihood of pedestrian crossings.

Similarly, speed feedback signs – they calculate a vehicle’s speed and digitally display it next to the posted speed limit – are in the works along West Broad and Belvidere streets where the speed limit drops to 25 mph near VCU.

7) A change of habit

Planners and police said driver attitudes have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant and noticeable increase in speeding and risky driving habits. Eastman said visual or physical reminders for drivers are aimed at changing those habits.

“Our students are one group, but most people driving through campus aren’t students – they’re just trying to get from point A to point B,” he said. “We can educate our campus community, and we work alongside the city to change how Richmond drivers behave.”

VCU Police use a comprehensive pedestrian safety and traffic plan that includes input from community members, university officials and data. Lt. Edgar Greer, who leads that effort for the department, said the goal is to blend education and enforcement.

“We enforce traffic laws in our jurisdiction for the sole purpose of saving lives, preventing crashes and keeping everyone who uses the roads safe,” Greer said. “At the same time, education brings knowledge, which makes roads safer from the jump. Our patrol units would prefer to not write tickets, since it would mean all drivers are following traffic laws.”

8) And speaking of enforcement …

During the 2024-25 academic year, VCU Police enforcement operations resulted in:

• 1,907 traffic stops
• 1,306 traffic summons
• 589 warnings issued
• 888 parking tickets

While this data encompasses the entire jurisdiction, community voices also help dictate police enforcement strategies. In the first quarter of this year, VCU Police launched a focused enforcement effort along the Belvidere Street corridor, a known problem spot for pedestrians, in an effort to change driver behaviors and increase safety.

To begin this academic year, VCU Police officers will focus traffic enforcement on red light violations, speeding and failure to obey posted highway signs at major intersections across both campuses.

“Our data clearly show exactly where we have a high volume of vehicular traffic. We know that if there will be more vehicles, there is a greater chance of a dangerous vehicle-pedestrian interaction,” Greer said. “Our presence, we hope, will help everyone pay closer attention when using the roadway.”

9) Keep your “Heads Up, Rams!” – on social media

Traveling safely around VCU should be top of mind for all pedestrians and drivers. To keep the issue at the forefront, VCU has launched a social media education campaign to highlight pedestrian safety and advice.

Led by VCU Police and VCU Parking & Transportation, the “Heads Up, Rams!” campaign will provide community members with real-time, engaging pedestrian safety content that offers practical ways to travel safely. The slogan underscores the importance of attentiveness while navigating campus.

Follow both accounts for weekly updates, and ideas for content and collaborations can be submitted to them via direct message.

10) The conversation continues

During her first term as Staff Senate president, Rogers said, pedestrian and traffic safety issues were a main thread from conversations with staff and students. As she heads into her second year in the top role, the Staff Senate plans to engage in more listening sessions – like the Snead Hall session that resulted in pedestrian signs – and other presentations on the issue.

“It is a two-way street: It is a pedestrian’s responsibility to be safe, as well as drivers. We can’t just rely on the infrastructure,” Rogers said.

“It’s honestly walking around our community with awareness that we’re not the only ones in our world,” she said. “I think if we start from that place, we’re coming from a place of care.”

Community members can contact policedept@vcu.edu for questions or concerns related to pedestrian safety at VCU.