City of Richmond, VA
United States Mayor: Levar M. Stoney-
Population 217853
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Area 162.0km 2
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GDP 61 MillionUSD
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Targets by N/A N/Aemission
DPU has worked with GRTC transit in switching from diesel or gasoline to natural gas fuel, and the transit company has built a CNG fueling facility and has replaced 15 para-transit and 30+ full size buses and will continue to replace the fleet of 154 remaining diesel buses.
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The Downtown Master Plan recommended converting one way streets to two way streets. Conversion would encourage safe and efficient traffic flow, alleviate congestion and reduce vehicle miles traveled to reduce the city's carbon footprint. The city plans to convert a few streets in Shockoe Bottom as a pilot conversion project.
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Department of Public Works is installing 155 bicycle racks in the public right of way, primarily on existing parking meter posts.
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The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is implementing a process to capture and use the excess digester gas flared during the processing of waste water. This will result in enhanced efficiency and cost savings.
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The Virginia Capital Trail is a 55-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail that will connect Richmond to Williamsburg when it is completed in 2014. In 2009, the city finished the Richmond Riverfront phase of the Trail. This section is the first of three that will run through the city.
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Adopted administrative regulations to reduce unnecessary idling of city vehicles.
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Through a pilot program, the Dept. of Public Utilities installed solar powered street lights in the Randolph West Subdivision. It is measuring performance to determine whether to expand the program.
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To implement the recommendations of the Mayor’s Pedestrian, Bicycling and Trails Planning Commission, the city is increasing the amount of bicycle infrastructure in Richmond. It will begin by installing 40 miles of sharrows or shared lane pavement markings on both sides of three major city bicycle routes for a total of 80 miles. The routes are US Bike Route 1, Major North-South Bike Route and Major East-West Bike Route. The sharrows will be completed in 2012.
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In July 2009, the Department of Public Utilities created a Stormwater Utility to manage the stormwater that runs off the properties of city residents and business owners. The utility encourages green practices by offering both commercial and residential credits to customers that choose to implement these practices on their property.
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DPU worked with GRTC transit in switching from diesel or gasoline to CNG and GRTC added 29 large buses 15 more Para Transits to its fleet in 2013
o 1 point- City’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) worked with Englewood Enterprises and CSX to open an ethanol transloading facility resulting in the elimination of approx. 600 truck trips per month of ethanol – shifting the transport mode from truck to rail. A second site will open in Richmond by the end of 2013 and the total number of trucks removed from the regional network from the Englewood sites will total approx. 1,200 trucks removed per month.
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Voluntary program for city residents to provide energy audits and rebates on energy efficient improvements
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Upgraded incandescent traffic signals at 520 intersections to LED.
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The City converted its fleet of 37 diesel refuse trucks to 25 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks.
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The city of Richmond offers a series of financial tools and incentives for businesses relocating and expanding within the city. Incentives are subject to availability of funds. CARE is designed to revitalize and return economic viability to mature neighborhood districts. The city's Enterprise Zone Program offers financial incentives to qualified commercial and industrial users in specific Enterprise Zone areas of the city. The city offers partial exemption from real estate taxes for qualifying rehabilitated and replaced structures. The Contractor Assistance Loan Program provides capital to contractors that are located within the city of Richmond that lack access to traditional financing.
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DPU:
Two (2) Honda sedans
Thirty Two (32) Class 2 GMC service vans converted to dual fuel CNG
Eight (8) CNG Class 2 GMC vans
DPW:
Four (4) Honda sedans
- Transport
The Department of Public Works manages a recycling program for employees in city hall. Each floor of city hall has recycling bins for mixed paper and co-mingled recyclable items and the bins are emptied weekly. Other city facilities including Main Street Station, Marshall Plaza and police headquarters also recycle.
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The Department of Information Technology conducts a PC recycling program to refurbish and reuse older computers, reduce electronic waste and reduce costs.
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- Waste
The city developed the Green Events Team to work with special event promoters in the city to encourage event organizers, sponsors and attendees within the city of Richmond to be as “green” as possible through educational awareness, enhanced solid waste reduction efforts and decreasing the overall environmental impacts of events. With generous support from Keep Virginia Beautiful and the Clean City Commission, the Green Events Team purchased 100 recycling bins for any event promoter in the city to use during special events.
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- Facilities
The City’s objective to convert their fleet to CNG also extends to other fleets and agencies in the City’s natural gas distribution territory. One recent success was the conversion of the Richmond International airport shuttle of 14 diesel buses to dedicated CNG buses. They also constructed a CNG fueling facility with 14 time-fill fuel posts and one fast-fill dispenser. This facility started operation in August 2013 and is capable of displacing 69 gallons of diesel fuel per hour and 0.39 tons of green house gas per hour.
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Promoted cycling as an alternative transport to work through a monthlong challenge.
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The Richmond region public-private partnership was one of only 16 organizations awarded funding from the Department of Energy for local public-private partnerships to collaborate to develop strategies to deploy electric vehicles. The Richmond Electric Vehicle Initiative (REVi) will use its $430,000 grant to develop a Regional Strategic Plan and identify and foster policies to expedite EV infrastructure implementation specific to the Richmond Region and prepare the Commonwealth for successful deployment of plug-in electric drive vehicles.
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Managed by the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) bus system Rideshare program encourages city employees to use GRTC and reduce individual car use.
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In order to maximize rail passenger service and further expand the multi-modal transportation options offered at Main Street Station, the city is moving forward on a number of efforts. It is stabilizing and rehabilitating the train shed per the National Historic Preservation Guidelines to improve service and capacity for existing passenger rail. It is improving site circulation for multimodal activity and providing alternative transportation modes at the station such as electric vehicles, car sharing, bike stations, Segways, and scooters. It is re-establishing Franklin Street through the train shed to provide connectivity for the Virginia Capital Trail and pedestrian access through the site. It is also solidifying the property’s iconic gateway presence by establishing a transit and tourism information center within the station to welcome visitors when they first enter the city of Richmond.
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Received grants to improve sidewalks and bike infrastructure around two Elementary Schools
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Mayor Jones created the Commission in 2010 to provide city administration advice on ways to incorporate bicycling and walking as viable methods of transportation in the city of Richmond. After a series of meetings, the Commission issued a report with recommended actions.
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reduced electricity usage by 2,614,265kwh over three years by upgrading HVAC, Air Handlers, and automation controls in large city buildings
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The city’s new compressed natural gas fueling station has opened on Maury Street in Richmond, Virginia in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, Clean Energy, Quarles Petroleum, and the City of Richmond. This station, located at 211 Maury Street just off I-95, provides rapid fueling service to public and fleet CNG-powered natural gas vehicles, and is accessible 24/7 to anyone with a credit card or fleet card.
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The city implemented a Sustainable and Green Procurement Policy to encourage the purchase and use of goods and services that best align with the city’s fiscal, environmental, social equity, economic growth, and community enhancement goals. The policy encourages the purchase of environmentally preferable products that reduce the overall negative impact on the environment. To this end, the policy promotes the purchasing of recycled materials and other environmentally preferable goods and services that protect human resources, prevent pollution, reduce waste, conserve resources, and support environmental sustainability.
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- Facilities
- Other Emissions
roof replacements on five city facilities to install white reflective roof systems to reduce energy consumption
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In 2011, the city began its process to develop a long-range multi-modal transportation plan that takes into account alternative transportation modes and complete streets. The planning process called Richmond Connects will conclude in 2012.
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City Administration is following a resolution adopted in January 2009, to apply LEED standards to eligible new and existing city facilities. The city is building its new facilities and renovations that are over 10,000 square feet to a minimum LEED Silver standard. Four new schools and a new Fire Station will all be minimum LEED Silver. The renovated Justice Center will also be minimum LEED Silver.
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The developed a Richmond Riverfront Plan as part of the fulfillment of the Downtown Master Plan adopted in 2009. The James River was one of the Seven Foundations of the Downtown Plan where it was recognized as Richmond's "great, wet Central Park." The Riverfront Plan's overall goal is to establish the river as the focus of the community, promote a sustainable riverfront corridor, strengthen linkages between the river and adjacent neighborhoods, identify sites for strategic private redevelopment and public improvements, and evaluate potential for quality open spaces and public recreational opportunities along the riverfront. The purpose of the plan is to create a conceptual design to guide the future direction of the downtown Richmond riverfront on both sides of the James River from the Lee Bridge to Ancarrows Landing on the south bank and Rocketts Landing on the north bank.
Read More Read LessThe city built its first green roof on a city facility on the Waste Water Treatment Plant Effluent Filtration Building in 2010. The city will install another green roof in 2012.
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The city created Richmond Grows Gardens, its Community Garden Program, to enable the public to use vacant city-owned parcels for the development of community gardens throughout the city of Richmond. Community gardens are also an economic driver. Blighted property can be turned into urban gardens to provide a local source of healthy food for a community.
Read More Read LessThe Department of Public Utilities is a proud WaterSense partner. WaterSense brings together a variety of stakeholders to promote the value of water efficiency, decrease water use and reduce strain on water resources and infrastructure. By utilizing the WaterSense program through public outreach, rebates, education, and other conservation efforts, the city can reduce the amount of electricity needed to clean wastewater and treat drinking water.
Read More Read LessThe city created a Food Policy Task Force to further its urban agriculture efforts. The Task Force is a broad based group of professionals and community members. Among other initiatives, it has conducted a food assessment of the community and developed recommendations for more robust urban agriculture based initiatives.
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In 2009, Richmond became the first city in Virginia to place a major urban park system under a conservation easement when it worked with a number of partners to create the James River Park Conservation Easement to permanently conserve approximately 280 acres of property in the James River Park System from future development.
Read More Read LessSolar workshop/training for electrical inspectors and all building and electrical plan reviewers
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The city has been designated for twenty consecutive years as a “Tree City USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) was identified as an important resource through the Downtown Master Plan process and the city is working to restore it with programs like Adopt-A-Tree and volunteer efforts including the Richmond Tree Stewards.
Read More Read LessLID is a land development approach that allows land to be developed but in a manner that helps lessen potential environmental impacts. The city has a number of pilot LID projects in place including green alleys and green streets. Rain gardens help filter sediment that can harm the water supply and they retain water during heavy rain periods to prevent runoff. The city has built a number of rain gardens and plans to build more.
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In 2008, Department of Public Utilities (DPU) implemented a cost of service rate structure to promote water conservation. DPU is currently upgrading infrastructure to improve water conservation at its treatment facilities.
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Mayor Levar M. StoneyCity of Richmond, VA, United States
Status of compliance
Compact of Mayors